Privacy policy

The Watercolour World (we) are committed to protecting your privacy. By using or contributing to the Watercolour World website (the Website) you are consenting to the collection, use, and transfer of personal data under the terms of this policy, so please read it carefully.

Please note that your use of and contributions to the Website are also subject to our Terms of Use and Copyright Statement.

For the purposes of the Data Protection Act 1998 (the Act), the data controller is The Watercolour World of Poplar Hall, Burns Green, Benington, Stevenage, United Kingdom, SG2 7DB. Our nominated representative for the purposes of the Act is Fred Hohler. If after reviewing this policy you have any questions or privacy concerns please send a letter to our trading address or email [email protected].

What information do we collect?

(a) Information you provide to us

You do not need to register to use the Website. However, if you submit images or content for inclusion via the Website, or sign up for our newsletter, you will be required to provide your name and email address. Similarly, if you correspond with us by phone, email, letter, or another form of communication (either as a contributor to the Website or to make an enquiry) we may collect your name, contact details and other personal data supplied by you.

(b) Information we collect automatically

When you visit our Website we automatically collect some information. This includes:

(i) Technical information such as your Internet Protocol (IP) address and details about which browser you use

(ii) Information about the Website’s performance, such as page load speeds and page errors

(iii) Information about how you use the Website, using cookies and page tagging techniques.

How do we use your information?

(a) Information you provide to us

We use personal information you provide to us in the following ways:

(i) To notify you that your correspondence has been received

(ii) To provide you with the information or services that you have requested of us

(iii) To carry out our obligations arising from any contracts entered into between you and us

(iv) To notify you about changes to the website that might affect or be of interest to you

(v) To notify you about new research or information pertaining to content that you have supplied, which we think may be of interest

We may ask you for additional information if we deem it essential in order to fulfil our obligations to you or to deal with your request. For example, we may ask you to supply further details about a work of art you have submitted (such as its provenance or author) to help us assess whether it meets our criteria for inclusion on the website. You are under no obligation to provide additional information but refusing to do so may restrict our ability to deal with your request.

We will not use images you provide to us for anything other than our own charitable or publicity purposes without first getting your consent.

You can opt out of receiving our newsletter at any time by clicking on the ‘unsubscribe’ button at the bottom of the email. Please notify us directly if you have any further communication preferences.

(b) Information we collect automatically

We use this information to keep our website running smoothly and to improve your experience. The information we collect is useful for:

(i) Operational activities including troubleshooting, testing and data analysis

(ii) Monitoring the security of our Website and updating our security protocols

(iii) To improve the way our Website is presented on different devices

We will not use this information to personally identify you or contact you.

Contributing to the Website

If you wish to contribute images, metadata or other content items to our website you must agree to the relevant Terms and Conditions, which we will send to you prior to publication. Content published to our website can include some personal information (such as your name), but only subject to your consent. We will only publish online the images, metadata, and collection information that you supply and approve specifically for that purpose. Common contributors include:

(a) Public Collections

Public Collections are invited to supply images, metadata, and content for publication on our Website. We will not publish or store any personal information about individual representatives of a Collection on our website, unless expressly asked and given permission to do so.

(b) Private Collections

Private collectors are encouraged to submit images and metadata about watercolours in their possession for publication on our Website. These can be published as a named collection, or anonymously.

(i) Publishing under your name: we will publish the images and metadata supplied, under a collection name agreed by you (the Collector). We will not publish or store any personal information (for example your address or contact details) on our Website.

(ii) Publishing anonymously: we will publish the images and metadata that you supply credited as ‘courtesy of private collection’ all rights reserved. When we process your images and metadata prior to publishing, we will use a pseudonym to ensure the anonymity of your data. We will not publish or store any personal information on our Website. Personal information that we must collect in order to fulfil our role as publisher will be stored independently and securely, and made available only to authorised staff and volunteers to perform duties as required by The Watercolour World.

(c) Content contributors

We commission and publish content (such as blogs, videos, and podcasts) by external contributors on our Website. In most cases, we will credit the contributor by including their name and a by-line, as provided and approved by the contributor. If you would prefer to contribute content anonymously or under a pseudonym, please let us know before your contribution is published.

Third-Party Services

We use a small number of third-party services on our Website which are not subject to the terms of this Privacy Policy:

(a) Mailchimp

Please read the privacy policies of these and other third-party services before using them.


Links to other websites

The Website includes links to other websites. This Privacy Policy applies only to our Website. It is your responsibility to check the privacy policy of any website which you access via our Website.

Disclosing your information

We will not disclose your personal information unless we are required to do so by law or believe in good faith that such action is necessary to comply with the law: for example, if a claim is made that your contribution to the Website violates the third party’s intellectual property rights, or their right to privacy.

We will not sell your personal information to third  parties. With your prior consent, we may share your personal information with third parties.

If you make published contributions to the Website (images, content, or comments) we may share these with trusted third parties. We will not share additional personal information about you, beyond what you have already consented to publish, without first obtaining your permission.

Where we store your information

The transmission of information via the Internet is not completely secure, and we cannot guarantee the security of personal information that you send to us while it is in transit. Please remember that any information you send is at your own risk.

Your rights

You have the right to find out what personal information we hold about you. To do so, and to request that we update, amend, or delete your data, please email [email protected].

Contributors to the Website may consent to personal information being published as part of their contribution. This is published subject to Terms and Conditions agreed by you (the Contributor) in advance. If you wish to amend or delete this information after its publication, please contact us directly. We will fulfil your request if it is possible to do so without breaching our Terms and Conditions or other relevant Terms. We cannot guarantee that personal information removed from our Website has not been copied or stored elsewhere on the Internet, nor are we responsible for removing it from any website other than our own.


What are cookies and why do we use them?

Like most websites, ours uses cookies. Cookies are small text files that are stored on your computer, smartphone or device when you access a website. We use cookies so that we can see how many people are using our Website, and which pages they view, which allows us to make improvements to it over time. For more information about cookies visit www.allaboutcookies.org.

Cookie consent

By continuing to browse the Watercolour World Website or clicking ‘OK’ on our cookie notice, you are agreeing to our use of cookies. You can restrict the use of cookies on your web browser by changing the settings. The links below provide details of how to make these changes on popular browsers:
 

Google Chrome
Microsoft Edge
Mozilla Firefox
Microsoft Internet Explorer
Opera
Apple Safari

​Please be aware that limiting cookies may make your user experience of our Website less smooth; for example, pages will take longer to load instead of being cached for quick access.

Which cookies do we use?

The cookies we use are ‘analytical’ cookies. They allow us to recognise and count the number of visitors to the website, to understand how they arrived at the website, and to see how they move around the website. This helps us to improve the way our website works, for example by making sure users can find what they need easily.

Changes to our policy

Changes to our Privacy and Cookie Policies will be posted on this page, so please check back from time to time. Any information that you provide to us by contacting us or using our Website will be subject to the most recent terms.

More information

By using and contributing to the Website, you are accepting the terms of this Privacy Policy, and of our Terms of Use and Copyright Statement. Please ensure that you have reviewed each document carefully.