Furness Tradition Photography & Video Policy
Last reviewed: August 2026
Furness Tradition organises concerts, festivals and other events to promote and celebrate traditional music, dance and related vernacular arts.
Photography and filming are an important part of documenting our activities, promoting future events and creating an archive of the work of the charity.
1. Photography and filming by Furness Tradition
Furness Tradition, or photographers and videographers acting on its behalf, may take photographs and video recordings at our events.
These may be used for:
- documenting and archiving Furness Tradition’s activities;
- promoting future Furness Tradition events;
- publicising the work of the charity;
- producing posters, programmes, newsletters and other printed publicity;
- publishing material on the Furness Tradition website;
- publishing material on Furness Tradition’s social-media channels; and
- other reasonable promotional activities connected with the charity.
Official photographers and videographers will normally be identifiable.
2. Notice to attendees
We will make reasonable efforts to tell people before or when they attend an event that photography and/or filming may take place.
Information may be provided through event ticketing information, the Furness Tradition website, programmes, entrance notices or other event information.
People attending our events should therefore reasonably expect that they may appear incidentally in photographs or video recordings made by or for Furness Tradition.
3. If you do not wish to be photographed
If you do not wish to be included in official photography or filming, please speak to a member of the Furness Tradition team when you arrive or at any time during the event. We will make reasonable efforts to respect such requests and, where practicable, will avoid subsequently using identifiable photographs or footage of that person. Because photography and filming may take place in a busy event environment, we cannot guarantee that an individual will never appear incidentally in a photograph or recording.
4. Children and young people
Furness Tradition takes particular care when photographing children and young people.
We will avoid deliberately identifying or focusing on individual children unless appropriate arrangements have been made.
Where children are participating in a performance or activity organised by Furness Tradition, specific arrangements may be made with parents, guardians, schools or other responsible organisations.
5. Photography by members of the audience
Audience members may take photographs for their own personal use, provided that this does not:
- interfere with the performance;
- distract performers or other members of the audience;
- obstruct another person’s view;
- involve inappropriate or intrusive behaviour; or
- involve flash photography where this is prohibited.
Furness Tradition may restrict photography or filming during particular performances where a performer or venue requests this.
6. Professional and commercial photography
Professional photographers, videographers and anyone intending to use photographs or recordings commercially should obtain permission from Furness Tradition in advance.
Furness Tradition may impose reasonable conditions concerning where and how photography or filming takes place.
7. Recording performances
Taking ordinary photographs of a performer is different from making a recording of their performance.
Performers have specific legal rights in relation to recordings of their live performances. Furness Tradition therefore asks anyone wishing to make a substantial audio or video recording of a performance to obtain permission in advance.
This includes recordings intended for publication or distribution through websites, social media or other platforms.
8. Furness Tradition’s own recordings
Where Furness Tradition intends to make a substantial audio or video recording of a performance, we will obtain appropriate permission from the performer or performers concerned.
Where appropriate, the permission will specify how the recording may be used, including whether it may be published online.
9. Use and storage of photographs and recordings
Photographs and recordings made by or for Furness Tradition will be used for legitimate organisational purposes connected with the charity.
They may be retained as part of Furness Tradition’s photographic or video archive and may subsequently be used for publicity where that use is consistent with the purposes described in this policy.
Furness Tradition will not normally sell photographs of identifiable attendees or use them for purposes unrelated to its charitable activities without appropriate permission.
10. Respect for performers and attendees
Photographers and videographers are expected to behave respectfully.
Photography and filming should not interfere with performances, distract performers, obstruct the audience or compromise anyone’s dignity or privacy.
Furness Tradition may ask anyone behaving inappropriately to stop photographing or filming and, where necessary, to leave the event.
11. Data protection
Where identifiable people appear in photographs or video recordings, the images may constitute personal data and their use may therefore be subject to UK data-protection law.
For routine event photography, Furness Tradition may rely on the legitimate interests lawful basis where appropriate. (See end of this policy) This means that we consider the purpose of the photography, whether it is necessary and proportionate, and the interests and reasonable expectations of the people being photographed.
We will provide appropriate information about the use of photographs and recordings and will consider requests from individuals who do not wish their images to be used.
Anyone wishing to raise a concern about the use of an image should contact Furness Tradition.
12. Review
This policy will be reviewed periodically and whenever there is a significant change to the way Furness Tradition photographs or records its events.
Furness Tradition – Legitimate Interests Assessment: Event Photography
Purpose: To photograph and film Furness Tradition events for archival, promotional and publicity purposes.
Legitimate interest: Documenting and promoting the charity’s activities and encouraging attendance at future events.
Necessity: Photographs and short video recordings are necessary to document and promote live events. Obtaining individual consent from every person incidentally appearing would be disproportionate and impractical.
Expectation: Attendees at publicised concerts and festivals can reasonably expect event photography, particularly where advance notice is given.
Impact: Photography is conducted in an ordinary event environment, without deliberately intrusive photography. People are given an opportunity to identify themselves and request that their images are not used.
Safeguards: Official photographers are identifiable; photography must be respectful; children are treated with particular care; requests not to use identifiable images are respected where practicable.
Conclusion: Furness Tradition has a legitimate interest in documenting and promoting its charitable activities through photography and video. Routine event photography has a relatively low impact on individuals, particularly where attendees have been informed in advance that photography will take place. The photography is necessary for the stated purposes and cannot reasonably be achieved by obtaining individual consent from every person who may incidentally appear in an event photograph. Furness Tradition will provide advance notice, identify official photographers where practicable, avoid intrusive photography, take particular care with children, and provide a mechanism for people to request that their identifiable images are not used.