Colleen Harris

Hi, and welcome! I'm Colleen - a journalist, presenter, and producer working across music, culture and social history.

Sixteen years at BBC News has shaped my career, working across national and regional output including the Six and Ten O’Clock News and BBC World TV. The work moved between fast-turnaround daily news such as the Tunisia and Nice terror attacks, and opportunities for arts and culture reporting and human-led storytelling. I’ve also presented 40+ films for BBC current affairs programme Inside Out, was occasional presenter for The Cultural Frontline on BBC World Service, and fronted a four-part culture magazine show called Global Pulse for BBC World TV News.

Today, I work independently across creative storytelling, media training, and moderating panels/hosting conferences in the music and cultural sectors. As a writer for leading industry magazine Music Week, I interview both industry executives and global superstars including Lenny Kravitz, Olivia Dean and Paloma Faith. I also serve as a judge for the Music Week Awards and Women In Music Awards, keeping me closely connected to emerging talent and industry conversations.

‘Guitars of R&B’ is my YouTube interview series spotlighting top-level R&B session guitarists with credits spanning Michael Jackson, Whitney Houston, James Brown, and Beyoncé. I lead all aspects of the project - guest curation, editorial direction, interviewing, pre and post production (video and audio), branding, artwork design, digital distribution and audience engagement (see links below). The series was created to highlight leading guitarists while broadening access and visibility for underserved audiences within the guitar industry.

My creative journey began in music, studying at the BRIT School of Performing Arts and performing professionally in a girl group, which culminated in a MOBO Award in 1999. Today, in a return to roots, I play guitar as part of an ongoing creative practice.

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