Privacy Policy

Last Updated: 12 August 2025

1. Who We Are

"The Independent Studio" ("we", "us", "our") is a platform connecting dancers with independent hair and makeup artists ("Stylists"). Our registered business is located in Poland. We are the Data Controller for the personal information we collect through our website and services.

2. What Personal Data We Collect

We collect the following types of personal data to provide our services:

  • For Dancers:

    • Identity Data: Full name, email address, phone number.

    • Booking Data: Details of the competition, service, artist, and time slot you book.

    • Financial Data: We do not store your credit card details. All payments are processed by our third-party payment processor, Stripe. Stripe collects and processes your payment information securely.

  • For Stylists:

    • Identity & Business Data: Full name, email address, phone number, business registration details (sole trader, limited company, or other), and proof of public liability insurance.

    • Profile Data: Professional headshot, biography, and portfolio images.

    • Financial Data: Bank account, Wise, Revolut, or other payment details required for payouts.

  • Technical Data (collected automatically):

    • Our website is hosted on Squarespace, which may automatically collect data such as your IP address, browser type, and information about your visit through the use of cookies. This helps us understand how our site is used and improve our service.

3. How and Why We Use Your Data

We use your personal data based on the following legal grounds under GDPR:

  • To Fulfil a Contract:

    • To process your booking and payment.

    • To share necessary booking details (your name, service, time) with your chosen Stylist.

    • To process payouts to Stylists.

  • With Your Consent:

    • To send you marketing communications, if you have opted in.

  • For Our Legitimate Interests:

    • To respond to your inquiries and resolve disputes.

    • To improve our website and services.

4. Who We Share Your Data With

We only share your data when necessary to provide our services:

  • Stylists: We share a dancer's name and contact number with the Stylist they have booked for the purpose of the appointment.

  • Service Providers (Data Processors):

    • Squarespace: Hosts our website and processes data on our behalf.

    • Acuity Scheduling: Manages our booking calendars.

    • Stripe: Securely processes all payments.

  • We will never sell your personal data to third parties.

5. Data Retention

We will only retain your personal data for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes we collected it for, including for the purposes of satisfying any legal, accounting, or reporting requirements.

6. Your Rights Under GDPR

As a user in the EU, you have the following rights over your data:

  • The right to be informed: To know how we use your data.

  • The right of access: To request a copy of the data we hold about you.

  • The right to rectification: To correct any inaccurate data.

  • The right to erasure: To request that we delete your data.

  • The right to restrict processing: To limit how we use your data.

  • The right to data portability: To receive your data in a portable format.

  • The right to object: To object to us processing your data.

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us.

7. Contact Us

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy or our data practices, please contact us at office@the-independent-studio.com with the email title GDPR Enquiry.