Alumni Spotlights
Kevin Collins - Videographer, Podcaster and YouTuber
Kevin Collins is rethinking how we see Cork. His popular video, The Urban Fabric, has drawn over 58,000 views on YouTube and prompted plenty of discussion online for its clear and accessible take on urban planning in Cork.
An Arts graduate, Kevin studied English and Geography at UCC with his interest in social geography shaping the content he creates today. His videos now blend research, storytelling and visual design to explore Cork’s architecture, history and the ways people interact with their city. Kevin reimagines some of the city’s most familiar streets to show what Cork could look like with better design and planning.
What did you study at UCC and how did your degree help you?
I studied Arts, majoring in English and Geography. In first year, I also took Psychology and Sociology, subjects I didn’t fully appreciate at the time but have come to value in hindsight. Geography was particularly useful and enjoyable; I had some excellent lecturers. My dissertation focused on social geography, and that foundation continues to shape how I approach the subjects I explore in my podcasts and videos today.
Tell us a bit about your career journey - how did you get to where you are today?
After graduating, I went from studying Arts to assessing insurance claims for smartphones, followed by a brief stint at Apple in customer care. I then moved into sales with SolarWinds before spending over five years at Dell EMC, a role that proved incredibly formative. I started as an individual contributor and worked my way up through several promotions, developing key leadership and strategic skills along the way courtesy of a great manager.
My final “professional” role brought me to South Mall, where I built out a new office from scratch. It was one of the most rewarding experiences of my career, I discovered a real passion for building successful teams and unrivalled workplace culture.
A year into the pandemic, I decided to leave ClickDimensions. Working from home didn’t offer the same spark as holding court in an office full of (mostly) captive listeners. With my family’s support, I decided to pivot back toward film and creativity. During lockdown, I’d started cooking videos on Instagram, and people encouraged me to start a YouTube channel, so, four years ago, I did.
What inspired you to start creating content about Cork, and how do you choose the stories or locations you highlight?
It’s been a long ol’ slog refining the style and learning the craft of compelling storytelling, but that’s part of the journey. There’s a huge range of skills involved in being, essentially, a one-man production team, filming, editing, sound, writing, presenting, and it’s taken time to bring them all up to scratch.
Cork was a natural starting point. It’s home, and it’s endlessly rich in history, architecture, and personality. In the beginning, my videos were more visual, kayaking down the Lee, exploring abandoned buildings, capturing the beauty of the city. But things really took off when I started adding a layer of social commentary, what I call “socio-anthropological investigations.” That’s when the work began to resonate on a deeper level.
Have you noticed certain topics or local issues really sparking discussion among your viewers?
People care deeply about Ireland, but many feel frustrated and disillusioned by the consistent downward trajectory in standards and governance. The videos, lately, have a lot of discussions so they provide a space for that to happen. The conversations, I think, in the YouTube comments are a little more rounded that you might find on Twitter.
The topics that provoke the most engagement are about land, how we use it for recreation, agriculture, housing, and work. People are asking if our current approach to land and space truly serves society’s needs, or if it’s misaligned with them.
Finally - best memories from your time on campus?
Arts wasn’t the most demanding degree, personally, which left plenty of time for the more wholesome stuff. I was involved in the Film Society, and wrote for Motley Magazine and spent many hours in the New Bar. I also took part in an Iron Stomach competition in the Old Bar during Freshers Week. It was wheetabix and cod liver oil that finished me off. Good luck trying to swallow pure gloop. It was a brilliant few years. UCC’s campus is a beautiful place to learn and wander, and I met some genuinely great people there. Academically and socially, it was a fantastic experience.