Vicky Ball

Dr Vicky Ball is a Senior Lecturer in Film and Television Histories at De Montfort University, based in the Leicester Media School within the Faculty of Computing, Engineering and Media. She is an active member of the Cinema and Television History (CATH) research group and serves as co-investigator on the AHRC-funded 'Women’s Work, Working Women' project. Her research critically examines gender dynamics in British television production and representation across six decades.

Dr Ball's academic qualifications include:

• PhD in Television Drama from Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh
• MA in Film and Cultural Studies from the University of Sunderland
• BA (Hons) in Communication Studies from the University of Sunderland

Her research expertise spans feminist television and film studies, women's production histories, gender in British drama, television aesthetics, and cultural value. She investigates how television reflects and shapes societal attitudes toward gender, class, and globalization, with particular focus on historical and contemporary British contexts. Her work consistently bridges theoretical frameworks with empirical analysis of industry practices.

Dr Ball's recent publications reveal a sustained focus on women's roles in television history, including her forthcoming monograph on British female ensemble drama and collaborative work documenting women's labor in film and television industries. Her scholarship demonstrates evolving methodological approaches from textual analysis to archival industry research, consistently applying feminist theory to uncover marginalized perspectives in media history.

Dr Ball's profile does not list any scientific awards or major prizes.

Dr Ball's academic activities include:

• Supervision: Frances Galt (full-time PhD candidate, primary supervisor), Jilly Kay (part-time PhD candidate, secondary supervisor)
• Research Funding: Co-investigator on the AHRC grant 'Women’s Work, Working Women: A Longitudinal Study of Women Working in the Film and Television Industries (1933-1989)' (2014-2017)
• Professional Leadership: Principal organizer of international conferences including 'Doing Women’s Film and Television History III' (2016)

Dr Ball co-leads the AHRC-funded 'Women’s Work, Working Women' project through the Cinema and Television History (CATH) research center, collaborating with Newcastle University and international partners. She actively contributes to the Women’s Film and Television History Network and advises the BBC Connected Histories project, integrating archival research with contemporary industry analysis.