How we collect, use and protect your personal information

1. Who we are

Blackburn Empire Theatre Limited is the controller of personal data collected through this website and related online services.

Registered company number: 01411764
Registered office and main trading address: Aqueduct Road, Ewood, Blackburn, Lancashire, BB2 4HT

If you have questions about this Privacy Policy or about how we use your personal information, you can contact us using the details at the end of this page.

2. What this policy covers

This Privacy Policy applies to your use of blackburnempire.com and to the personal information we collect when you:

• browse or use our website;
• create or use an account;
• buy tickets, vouchers, products or other services;
• complete forms or contact us;
• sign up to receive marketing communications;
• interact with us about bookings, events or support services.

Our website may include links to other websites and third-party services. We are not responsible for their privacy practices, and you should check their own privacy information before providing personal data.

3. What personal data we may collect

Depending on how you use our website and services, we may collect:

• name and title;
• postal address;
• email address and telephone number;
• account and login details;
• booking, order and transaction details;
• gift voucher and donation information;
• communications you send to us;
• marketing preferences;
• IP address, browser type, device information and website usage data;
• referring URLs, pages visited and activity on our site;
• information collected through cookies and similar technologies.

In some circumstances, you may choose to provide information relating to accessibility or special requirements connected with a booking. Where we collect special category data, we will only do so where we have a valid lawful condition to use it.

4. How we collect your data

• directly from you when you complete forms or create an account;
• when you book tickets, buy products, donate or make enquiries;
• when you subscribe to marketing emails or updates;
• automatically through cookies, analytics and website logs;
• from third-party systems we use to operate bookings, payments and communications.

5. How we use your data and our lawful bases

We will only use your personal data where we have a valid lawful basis. Depending on the circumstances, we may rely on one or more of the following:

• Contract – where using your information is necessary to provide tickets, products, vouchers, accounts or related services you have requested.
• Legal obligation – where we must use or keep information to meet legal, accounting, taxation or regulatory requirements.
• Legitimate interests – where it is reasonable and necessary for us to operate, secure and improve the theatre, website and services, provided your rights do not override those interests.
• Consent – where you have agreed that we may use your information in a particular way, such as certain marketing communications or non-essential cookies.

We may use personal data to:

• create, secure, maintain and close online customer accounts;
• associate tickets and transactions with the correct customer;
• process, retrieve and administer bookings, sales, donations and other transactions;
• send booking confirmations and important information about performances, cancellations, rescheduling, access arrangements or other service matters;
• respond to enquiries, complaints, refunds, exchanges and payment disputes;
• administer gift vouchers, memberships, raffles or fundraising activity;
• prevent and investigate fraud, misuse and chargebacks;
• keep restricted records for finance, taxation, auditing and legal compliance;
• administer data protection requests and record how they were handled;
• improve our website, services and customer experience;
• monitor site performance, usage and security;
• send marketing communications where we have an appropriate lawful basis and the applicable electronic marketing rules allow us to do so.

6. Who we may share your data with

We do not sell your personal data. We may share it where necessary with:

• ticketing and booking providers;
• payment processors and payment service providers;
• website hosting, development and technical support providers;
• email marketing and communications platforms;
• analytics, advertising and search providers;
• professional advisers such as accountants, insurers or legal advisers;
• public authorities, regulators, courts or law enforcement where required by law.

We require service providers acting on our behalf to handle personal data appropriately and only for permitted purposes.

7. International transfers

Some suppliers may process personal information outside the UK. Where this happens, we will take steps required by data protection law to protect the information. This may include relying on UK adequacy regulations or using approved contractual safeguards and carrying out any required risk assessment.

8. How long we keep your data

We keep personal information only for as long as it is reasonably necessary for the purpose for which it was collected. Different types of information are retained for different periods. We review what we hold and delete or anonymise information that is no longer required, unless continued retention is justified or required by law.

Online customer accounts

We retain online account information while the account remains active and for as long as it is reasonably required to administer bookings and provide customer services. You may ask us to close your account.

If there is an upcoming performance or unresolved booking matter, we will explain what can be closed or removed immediately and what information needs to remain until the booking has been fulfilled and any immediate follow-up has been completed. When an account is closed, we will delete, deactivate or anonymise account information that is no longer required.

Booking and transaction records

Closing an online account does not necessarily delete the restricted record of a ticket purchase or other transaction. Core booking and financial records will normally be retained for six years from the end of the relevant financial year where this is required for accounting, taxation, audit or regulatory purposes. They may be kept longer where required by law or because of an ongoing investigation, dispute or legal claim.

Customer service correspondence

Routine customer service correspondence will normally be retained for up to 24 months after the matter has been resolved. It may be retained for longer where it relates to a complaint, refund, chargeback, safeguarding concern, legal claim, regulatory matter or continuing dispute.

Accessibility and special requirements

Information about accessibility or special requirements will be retained only for as long as it is needed to provide the requested arrangements. Unless it is needed for another booking at your request, an incident, complaint or legal obligation, it will be deleted or anonymised after the relevant booking and immediate follow-up have been completed.

Marketing information

Marketing details and preferences will be retained while you remain subscribed or while we otherwise have a lawful basis to use them. If you unsubscribe, withdraw consent or object, we may retain a minimal suppression record so that your preference continues to be respected.

Data protection requests

We may retain a limited record of a data protection request and our response for as long as reasonably necessary to demonstrate compliance, handle related enquiries or complaints and establish, exercise or defend legal claims.

Website, security and backup information

Website logs, security records, analytics information and technical data are retained for limited periods appropriate to their purpose. Information deleted from active systems may remain temporarily in controlled backups until those backups are overwritten or deleted under our backup schedule. Backups are not used for ordinary business purposes.

9. Your rights

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

• be informed about how your personal data is used;
• request access to the personal data we hold about you;
• request correction of inaccurate or incomplete data;
• request deletion of personal data in certain circumstances;
• request restriction of processing in certain circumstances;
• object to certain processing, including direct marketing;
• request transfer of your data where applicable;
• withdraw consent where consent is the basis we rely on.

These rights are not absolute and may depend on why we are using the information. If we cannot comply fully with a request, we will explain what information is being retained, why it is being retained and the lawful basis on which we rely.

10. Cookies and similar technologies

Our website uses cookies and similar technologies to make the site work, improve performance, understand how visitors use the site, remember preferences, and support marketing or analytics where enabled.

Some cookies are essential for the operation of the site. Non-essential cookies will only be placed where the required consent has been obtained.

You can manage your choices through our cookie banner or consent settings. You can also control cookies through your browser, although disabling some cookies may affect how the site works.

11. Data security

We take appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect personal data against unauthorised or unlawful processing, accidental loss, destruction or damage.

Access to personal data is limited to people and service providers who have a genuine need to know it for their role.