Dr Collins' research sits at the interface between performance, law and representations of postcolonial identity. He is particularly interested in the protection of intangible cultural heritage, combatting modern slavery, and Scottish and Ghanaian performance.  

His PhD, awarded by the University of Glasgow in 2015, examined the protection of folklore through copyright in Ghana and his research continues to examine the interaction between folklore, copyright and cultural production, both in Ghana and the UK.

Dr Stephen Collins is a lecturer in Performance. Prior to joing the University in September 2016, he lectured in Performance at the University of the Highlands and Islands. He also taught on the Theatre Studies and Law undergarduate degrees at the Universty of Glasgow from where he gained a PhD from the School of Law in 2015.

Dr Collins' research is cross-disciplinary and is focussed on the relationship between copyright law, cultural heritage and performance. He has a particular expertise in Ghanaian theatre and copyright law.

Steve is an member of Careed, the University's centre of African studies, the Protracted Crisis Research Centre and the Centre for Culture, Sports and Events.

Dr Collins' research is currently following three strands:

• the copyrighting of folklore and its implications,
• the cultural and legal status of folklore in Scotland,
• the intresection of modern and historic slavery

These areas are interlinked and branch out into several conceptual areas, including:

• The status of folklore within empire building,
• The status of folklore within independence movements,
• The conceptualising of folklore as a legal and cultural catagory,
• The interplay between creativity and copyright law,
• The continuing legacies of colonialism and empire.

Since completing his PhD, Dr Collins has continued to research into the impact and implications of the copyrighting of folklore. He is particularly interested in continuing to pursue a multi-disciplinary approach to future research and would welcome collaboration in this area.