Website: https://ariaalba.co.uk/
Last updated: 19 October 2026

1. Who we are

Aria Alba (“we”, “us” or “our”) is an Edinburgh-based community opera company and registered Scottish charity (charity number SC042322).

We are committed to protecting your privacy and handling your personal information responsibly. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, store and protect your personal data when you visit our website, contact us, subscribe to our mailing list, participate in our activities or interact with us in other ways.

For the purposes of applicable data protection law, including the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018, Aria Alba is responsible for deciding how and why your personal data is processed.

Data controller contact details:

  • Organisation: Aria Alba
  • Charity number: SC042322
  • Website: https://ariaalba.co.uk/
  • Contact: Please use the contact form on our website or the contact details below.

2. What personal information we collect

Depending on how you interact with us, we may collect the following information.

Information you provide to us

  • Contact enquiries: Your name, email address and the contents of any message you send through our contact form or by email.
  • Mailing list subscriptions: Your name, email address and subscription preferences.
  • Membership and participation: Information necessary to manage your involvement in rehearsals, workshops, performances or other activities, where applicable.
  • Donations: Information needed to administer donations and maintain appropriate financial and charity records. Payment card details are generally handled by the relevant payment provider rather than stored by us.
  • Event and ticket enquiries: Information you provide when contacting us about our productions, performances or events.

Please avoid including sensitive personal information in general website enquiries unless it is genuinely necessary.

Information collected automatically

When you visit our website, certain technical information may be collected automatically by our website hosting provider or through cookies and similar technologies, where applicable. This may include:

  • Your IP address.
  • Browser type and operating system.
  • Pages visited and the time and date of your visit.
  • Information about how you interact with the website.
  • Technical information used to maintain website security and performance.

The information collected will depend on the website configuration and the services enabled.

3. How we use your personal information

We may use your personal information for the following purposes:

  • Responding to enquiries: To reply to messages, answer questions and communicate with you.
  • Mailing list communications: To send you information about our productions, events, workshops and other Aria Alba activities, where you have subscribed or where another lawful basis applies.
  • Managing participation: To organise rehearsals, workshops, performances and other activities you choose to participate in.
  • Managing donations: To administer donations, maintain financial records and meet our charity reporting obligations.
  • Operating our website: To maintain functionality, improve the visitor experience and troubleshoot technical problems.
  • Website security: To prevent fraud, protect our systems and investigate misuse.
  • Legal compliance: To meet applicable legal, regulatory, accounting and charity obligations.

We will only use personal information where we have a lawful basis to do so and will not use it for unrelated purposes without an appropriate legal justification.

4. Our lawful bases for processing

Under UK data protection law, we must have a lawful basis for processing personal data. Depending on the circumstances, we may rely on:

  • Consent: For optional marketing communications and non-essential cookies or similar technologies where consent is required.
  • Legitimate interests: To respond to enquiries, manage our activities, maintain our website and protect our organisation, provided those interests do not override your rights and freedoms.
  • Contract: Where processing is necessary to enter into or fulfil an agreement with you, such as arrangements for participation in an activity.
  • Legal obligation: Where we must process or retain information to comply with applicable laws, accounting requirements or charity regulations.

Where we rely on consent, you can withdraw it at any time. Withdrawal does not affect the lawfulness of processing carried out before consent was withdrawn.

5. Mailing list and marketing

If you subscribe to our mailing list, we may use your name and email address to send you updates about upcoming performances, productions, workshops and other Aria Alba news.

You can unsubscribe at any time by using the unsubscribe link included in our emails, where available, or by contacting us through our website.

We will not send you marketing emails without an appropriate lawful basis. Subscribing to our mailing list is voluntary and is not a condition of contacting us or visiting our website.

We may use a third-party email service to manage subscriptions and distribute our emails. Where applicable, that provider will process personal information in accordance with its contractual obligations and relevant data protection requirements.

6. Cookies and website technologies

Our website may use cookies or similar technologies to make the website function, remember preferences, maintain security or understand how visitors use our pages.

Cookies may include:

  • Essential cookies: Necessary for the website to operate securely and correctly.
  • Preference cookies: Used to remember settings or preferences, where applicable.
  • Analytics cookies: Used to understand website traffic and improve the website, if analytics tools are enabled.
  • Third-party cookies: Potentially set by embedded content or external services integrated into the website.

Where consent is legally required, we will ask for your permission before placing non-essential cookies on your device. You can manage cookies through any cookie preference tool provided on our website or through your browser settings.

Blocking some cookies may affect website functionality.

The specific cookies used by this website should be checked and listed separately if necessary. We will not claim to use particular analytics or advertising services unless they are actually installed.

7. Sharing your personal information

We do not sell your personal information.

We may share relevant information with trusted third parties where necessary to operate our website and activities, including:

  • Website hosting and technical support providers.
  • Email and mailing-list service providers.
  • Payment processors used to receive donations.
  • Ticketing platforms used for our performances.
  • Professional advisers, auditors or insurers, where necessary.
  • Regulators, law enforcement agencies or other authorities where we are legally required to disclose information.

Some of these organisations may have their own privacy policies and act as independent data controllers for certain activities, such as processing payments or selling event tickets.

We will only share the information reasonably necessary for the relevant purpose and will take appropriate steps to protect it.

8. External websites

Our website may contain links to third-party websites, including ticketing platforms, donation services and social media services.

When you follow these links, you leave our website and become subject to the relevant third party’s privacy policy and terms. We are not responsible for the privacy practices or content of external websites.

We recommend reviewing their privacy policies before submitting personal information or making a payment.

9. How long we keep your information

We retain personal information only for as long as reasonably necessary for the purposes for which it was collected, including any legal, accounting or reporting requirements.

Our general approach is as follows:

  • Contact enquiries: Retained for as long as necessary to respond and manage any follow-up.
  • Mailing list information: Retained while you remain subscribed, and subsequently for as long as necessary to maintain suppression records and demonstrate compliance with applicable requirements.
  • Participation records: Retained for the period needed to administer activities and meet relevant legal or safeguarding obligations, where applicable.
  • Donation and financial records: Retained for the periods required by applicable accounting, charity and tax rules.
  • Technical and security logs: Retained for a proportionate period appropriate to security, troubleshooting and operational needs.

Actual retention periods depend on the type of information and the circumstances. When information is no longer needed, we will securely delete it or anonymise it where appropriate.

10. How we protect your information

We take reasonable technical and organisational measures to protect personal information against unauthorised access, loss, misuse, alteration or disclosure.

These measures may include restricting access to personal information, using appropriate security controls and relying on reputable service providers.

However, no method of transmitting or storing information electronically is completely secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.

If a personal data breach occurs, we will take appropriate steps in accordance with applicable data protection law.

11. International transfers

Some of the service providers we use may process or store personal information outside the United Kingdom.

Where personal data is transferred internationally, we will ensure that the transfer complies with applicable data protection requirements and that appropriate safeguards are in place where necessary.

You may contact us for further information about relevant safeguards, subject to applicable legal restrictions.

12. Your data protection rights

Under UK data protection law, you may have the right to:

  • Access your personal information and request a copy.
  • Correct inaccurate or incomplete personal information.
  • Erase your personal information in certain circumstances.
  • Restrict how your personal information is processed in certain circumstances.
  • Object to processing based on legitimate interests and, where applicable, to direct marketing.
  • Request portability of certain information you have provided to us, where the legal requirements are met.
  • Withdraw consent where we rely on consent to process your information.
  • Complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) if you believe your personal information has been handled unlawfully.

These rights are subject to certain conditions and exceptions under the law.

To exercise your rights, please contact us through the contact form on https://ariaalba.co.uk/. We may need to verify your identity before responding. We will respond within the time limits required by applicable law.

You can find further information about your rights at the Information Commissioner’s Office website: https://ico.org.uk/for-the-public/

13. Children’s privacy

Aria Alba’s activities may be accessible to people of different ages. We aim to handle children’s personal information with particular care.

Where we collect personal information about children in connection with participation in our activities, we will do so only where necessary, for appropriate purposes and in accordance with applicable data protection and safeguarding requirements. Where required, we will obtain appropriate permission from a parent, guardian or other authorised person.

Our website is not intended to encourage children to submit unnecessary personal information through general contact forms or mailing-list subscriptions.

14. Changes to this Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes to our website, activities, service providers or legal obligations.

Any updated version will be published on this page, together with a revised “Last updated” date. We encourage you to review this page periodically.

15. Contact us

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy, how we use your personal information or how to exercise your data protection rights, please contact Aria Alba through the contact form on our website:

Website: https://ariaalba.co.uk/

Postal Address:

11 Strachan Road
Edinburgh
EH4 3RH

We will do our best to address your enquiry promptly.

You also have the right to raise a concern with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO):

Website: https://ico.org.uk/
Telephone: 0303 123 1113

This Privacy Policy is intended to explain how Aria Alba handles personal information in connection with its website and activities. It should be read alongside any relevant notices provided when you sign up for activities, make a donation or use a third-party service.