1. General Information

This Privacy Policy explains how UNSTAGED collects, uses, stores, and protects personal data when you visit or interact with the UNSTAGED website.

UNSTAGED is an independent publishing and visual research platform focused on authenticity, visual arts, and contemporary artistic practices.

This Privacy Policy applies to the following website: www.un-staged.com

For applicable data protection legislation, including the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), Arek Ratai is the data controller responsible for the processing of personal data collected through the UNSTAGED website, where applicable.

2. Personal Data We Collect

Depending on how you interact with UNSTAGED, we may collect the following personal data:

2.1. Contact Information

When you contact UNSTAGED by email or through a contact form, we may collect:

  • Your name and surname.
  • Your email address.
  • The content of your message.
  • Any other information you voluntarily provide.

2.2. Open Calls & Artistic Submissions

When you submit work to an UNSTAGED open call or contact us regarding an artistic or editorial collaboration, we may process:

  • Your name and surname.
  • Your email address.
  • Information about your artistic practice.
  • Project descriptions, statements, and biographies.
  • Images and other artistic materials submitted by you.
  • Information necessary to communicate with you regarding the submission or potential publication.

Submitted materials may be reviewed and processed for editorial selection, communication, publication, book production, documentation, and related promotional purposes.

2.3. Website Usage Data

When you visit the UNSTAGED website, certain technical information may be collected automatically by the website, hosting provider, security tools, or other services used to operate the website.

This may include:

  • IP address.
  • Browser type and version.
  • Device information.
  • Operating system.
  • Date and time of access.
  • Pages visited.
  • Referring website.
  • Technical information necessary for website security and functionality.

3. How We Use Personal Data

Personal data may be processed for the following purposes:

  • Responding to inquiries and messages.
  • Managing open calls and artistic submissions.
  • Communicating with artists, authors, curators, and collaborators.
  • Reviewing and selecting artistic works for UNSTAGED projects.
  • Organising and producing publications and editorial projects.
  • Maintaining and securing the website.
  • Understanding and improving website performance and content.
  • Complying with legal obligations.
  • Establishing, exercising, or defending legal claims.

If you subscribe to any newsletter or other marketing communication provided by UNSTAGED, your personal data may also be used to send such communications where an appropriate legal basis exists.

We do not use personal data for purposes incompatible with those described in this Privacy Policy.

4. Legal Basis for Processing

Depending on the circumstances, personal data may be processed on the following legal bases under the GDPR:

  • Consent – where you have given consent to the processing of your personal data.
  • Performance of a contract or steps before entering into a contract – where processing is necessary to manage an agreement or potential agreement with you.
  • Legal obligation – where processing is necessary to comply with applicable law.
  • Legitimate interests – where processing is necessary for legitimate interests pursued by UNSTAGED, provided that such interests are not overridden by your rights and freedoms.

Where processing is based on consent, you may withdraw your consent at any time. Withdrawal of consent does not affect the lawfulness of processing carried out before withdrawal.

5. Artistic Works & Personal Data

Artistic materials submitted to UNSTAGED may contain personal data, including the name, likeness, or other identifiable information relating to artists, authors, models, or other individuals.

Such materials may be processed for editorial review, publishing, design, documentation, and promotional purposes in accordance with the applicable permissions, licences, agreements, or other lawful basis.

The submission or publication of an artistic work does not transfer ownership of copyright or other intellectual property rights to UNSTAGED unless expressly agreed otherwise.

Contributors are responsible for ensuring that they have the necessary rights and permissions to submit materials containing third-party personal data or copyrighted material.

6. Third-Party Services

UNSTAGED may use third-party services necessary to operate the website and its activities. These may include website hosting, email services, website security, analytics, file storage, and publishing or distribution services.

Third-party providers may process personal data in accordance with their own privacy policies and applicable data protection legislation.

Publication Sales

UNSTAGED publications may be available for purchase through third-party print-on-demand and distribution platforms, including Peecho.

When a purchase is made through a third-party platform, that platform may process personal data necessary to complete and fulfil the order, including payment and delivery information.

UNSTAGED does not directly process payment card details for purchases completed through third-party sales platforms.

The processing of personal data by the relevant third-party platform is governed by that platform’s own privacy policy and terms and conditions.

For questions concerning an order, payment, delivery, or fulfilment, customers should contact the relevant sales platform through its customer service channels.

7. Cookies & Similar Technologies

The UNSTAGED website may use cookies and similar technologies to ensure proper website functionality, maintain security, understand website usage, and improve the website.

Cookies may include:

  • Essential cookies necessary for the operation of the website.
  • Analytics cookies, where analytics services are enabled.
  • Other non-essential cookies or similar technologies, where applicable.

Where required by law, non-essential cookies will only be used after obtaining the appropriate consent.

You may manage or disable cookies through your browser settings or through the cookie consent mechanism provided on the website, where available.

Disabling certain cookies may affect some website functionality.

The specific cookies and third-party technologies used on the website may change over time.

8. Sharing of Personal Data

Personal data may be shared with third-party service providers where necessary to operate UNSTAGED, manage communications, maintain the website, process submissions, or provide related services.

Personal data may also be disclosed:

  • Where required by law.
  • To competent public authorities.
  • Where necessary to protect the rights, property, or safety of UNSTAGED or other persons.
  • In connection with legal proceedings or the establishment, exercise, or defence of legal claims.

We do not sell personal data to third parties.

9. International Data Transfers

Some third-party service providers used by UNSTAGED may process personal data outside the European Economic Area (EEA).

Where personal data is transferred outside the EEA, appropriate safeguards will be applied in accordance with applicable data protection law.

Depending on the circumstances, such safeguards may include an adequacy decision, Standard Contractual Clauses, or another lawful transfer mechanism.

10. Data Retention

Personal data will be retained only for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes for which it was collected, unless a longer retention period is required or permitted by law.

The retention period depends on the type of data and the purpose for which it is processed.

For example:

  • Contact correspondence may be retained for as long as reasonably necessary to respond to an inquiry and manage related matters.
  • Open call submissions may be retained for the duration of the relevant editorial process and, where appropriate, for the documentation and management of published projects.
  • Information that must be retained for legal or accounting purposes will be retained for the period required by applicable law.

When personal data is no longer necessary, it will be deleted or securely disposed of, subject to applicable legal obligations.

11. Your Rights

Subject to applicable law, you may have the right to:

  • Request access to your personal data.
  • Request correction of inaccurate or incomplete personal data.
  • Request deletion of your personal data.
  • Request restriction of processing.
  • Object to certain processing of your personal data.
  • Request data portability, where applicable.
  • Withdraw consent where processing is based on consent.

To exercise your rights, contact:

Arek Ratai | UNSTAGED
Email: opencall@un-staged.com

You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the relevant data protection supervisory authority.

In Poland, the supervisory authority is the President of the Personal Data Protection Office (UODO).

12. Data Security

Reasonable technical and organisational measures are used to protect personal data against unauthorised access, loss, misuse, alteration, or disclosure.

However, no method of transmitting or storing information electronically can be guaranteed to be completely secure.

13. Children’s Privacy

The UNSTAGED website is not specifically directed at children.

UNSTAGED does not knowingly collect personal data from children where parental consent is legally required.

If you believe that a child has provided personal data to UNSTAGED unlawfully, please contact us so that the matter can be reviewed.

14. Changes to This Privacy Policy

This Privacy Policy may be updated from time to time to reflect changes in UNSTAGED’s activities, services, or applicable legal requirements.

The latest version will always be published on this page and will include an updated “Last updated” date.

15. Contact

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy or about how your personal data is processed, please contact Arek Ratai.

Last updated: 15 September 2026.