Kate O'Driscoll

Kate has over 10 year’s experience teaching in Higher Education, combining industry experience with a dynamic teaching approach driven by real world learning that she delivers across the curriculum. Bridging the gap between industry and our diverse students, Kate collaborates with a range of organisations and individuals to create exciting opportunities through the medium of film.

Kate's area of expertise is in documentary filmmaking and since joining Southampton Solent she has produced and collaborated on a number of documentaries with both colleagues and students. These include A Tale of Two Theatres (BBC, 2015), Island Pride UK (BBC, 2019), Vectis Radio, (BBC, 2000) and Inside the World of Tinnitus, (BBC, 2020)

During her time at Southampton Solent University Kate has developed a number of different film projects with a range of clients including Southampton City Council, the City Archives and Business South. As part of an ongoing collaboration with the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, Kate oversees short film the production of short films which shine a spotlight on mental health and wellbeing. To date this project has produced 31 films and involved over 100 students.

Prior to moving into HE Kate had a 20 year career working in broadcast television. Her extensive filmography includes the BBC’s award-winning series Who Do You Think You Are? (2005)  and the critically acclaimed Channel 4 documentary series Family Century (2000) which she series produced. In addition, Kate was a director on the BAFTA nominated series Rooted, and produced Bringing Home the Bacon (2000), which was nominated for the Rory Peck Awards.

Kate’s interests include access-driven filmmaking, and she negotiated unprecedented access to the highly secretive Istanbul Narcotics Police and filmed with the Metropolitan Police for 18 months with their sexual offences unit. She has also worked with organisations such as the NHS and the Wellcome Trust.

Kate has a particular research interest in archive driven filmmaking and recently produced a BBC short film Calling Blighty (2023).

In addition Kate has worked as a development producer and has devised and developed a number of projects over the years, including a number of shorts for the BBC One Show (2010-20), Five’s Combat Chefs (2007) and Channel 4’s How To Get Divorced (2005). She currently teaches a Research and Development for Television module which has resulted in student ideas being commissioned by broadcasters including the BBC.

Recently Kate has moved into podcasting, producing a series of podcast for the regional business community. 

Kate is a board member for the Royal Television Society Southern.