PRIVACY POLICY

Ghana International Folklore Festival

Effective Date: [Insert Effective Date]

The Ghana International Folklore Festival (“GIFF,” “we,” “us,” or “our”) respects your privacy and is committed to protecting the personal information you provide when you visit our website, register for the festival, contact us, participate in our programmes, or interact with our services.

This Privacy Policy explains what information we may collect, how we use it, how we protect it, and the choices available to you.

By using the GIFF website or submitting your information to us, you acknowledge that you have read and understood this Privacy Policy.

1. INFORMATION WE COLLECT

Depending on how you interact with GIFF, we may collect different types of information.

Personal Information

This may include:

Full name
Date of birth where necessary
Nationality
Country of residence
Email address
Telephone or WhatsApp number
Postal or residential address
Organization or group name
Occupation or professional information
Emergency contact information

Participant Information

If you register to participate in GIFF, we may collect information necessary to organize your participation, including:

Passport or identification information where required
Arrival and departure details
Accommodation requirements
Transportation requirements
Dietary requirements
Performance information
Group membership information
Special assistance requirements

We will only request information that is reasonably necessary for the relevant festival activity or service.

Payment Information

Where participation fees or other payments are processed through the GIFF website or an authorized payment provider, payment information may be collected and processed by the relevant payment service provider.

GIFF does not intend to retain complete payment-card information unless this is necessary and lawfully permitted.

Media & Content

During GIFF activities, photographs, video recordings and other audiovisual materials may be captured for festival documentation, reporting, publicity and promotional purposes.

2. HOW WE COLLECT INFORMATION

We may collect information when you:

Register for GIFF
Submit an online enquiry
Contact the festival Secretariat
Apply as a cultural group or performer
Apply for sponsorship or partnership
Register for the Ghana International Drums Tour
Subscribe to festival communications
Volunteer for the festival
Submit media or press enquiries
Participate in festival activities
Communicate with us through approved digital channels

We may also automatically collect limited technical information when you visit our website.

3. INFORMATION COLLECTED AUTOMATICALLY

When you visit the website, certain technical information may be collected automatically, depending on the website technology and analytics services we use.

This may include:

IP address
Browser type
Device type
Operating system
Pages visited
Approximate time spent on pages
Referring website
Website activity information

This information may be used to understand website performance, improve user experience and maintain website security.

4. HOW WE USE YOUR INFORMATION

GIFF may use personal information to:

Process festival registrations
Communicate with participants
Organize accommodation
Coordinate transportation
Manage festival accreditation
Coordinate performances
Respond to enquiries
Provide information about GIFF activities
Organize the Ghana International Drums Tour
Facilitate approved participant arrangements
Manage sponsorship and partnerships
Provide relevant festival updates
Improve our website and services
Maintain security
Prevent fraud or misuse
Meet applicable legal and regulatory requirements

We will seek to use personal information only for legitimate and appropriate purposes.

5. INTERNATIONAL PARTICIPANTS

GIFF welcomes participants from Ghana and other countries.

International participation may require the processing of information necessary for:

Registration
Accommodation
Transportation
Travel coordination
Invitation documentation
Visa-support documentation where applicable
Emergency assistance
Festival accreditation

Where personal information must be shared with relevant service providers or authorities for these purposes, GIFF will seek to limit the information shared to what is reasonably necessary.

6. SHARING YOUR INFORMATION

GIFF may share relevant personal information with trusted third parties where necessary to provide festival services or meet legitimate operational or legal requirements.

These may include:

Accommodation providers
Transportation providers
Payment service providers
Website and technology service providers
Event service providers
Authorized festival staff
Government or immigration authorities where legally required
Professional advisers
Emergency or security services where necessary

GIFF does not intend to sell participants’ personal information to third parties.

7. COOKIES

The GIFF website may use cookies and similar technologies to improve website functionality and user experience.

Cookies may help us:

Remember preferences
Understand website usage
Improve website performance
Measure traffic
Support website security
Improve relevant communications

You may be able to control cookies through your browser settings.

Some website features may not function properly if certain cookies are disabled.

8. COMMUNICATIONS

If you register for GIFF or contact us, we may send you communications relating to:

Registration
Festival schedules
Travel information
Accommodation
Transportation
Programme updates
Important participant announcements
Changes affecting the festival

Where appropriate, we may also provide information about future GIFF activities.

You may request that we stop sending non-essential promotional communications.

9. PHOTOGRAPHY & VIDEO

GIFF is a public cultural event where photography, filming and audiovisual documentation may take place.

Images and recordings may be used for legitimate purposes including:

Festival documentation
Website content
Social media
News and publicity
Promotional materials
Reports
Future festival marketing
Cultural documentation

Where specific consent is legally required, GIFF will seek to obtain it in an appropriate manner.

Participants who have specific concerns about photography or filming should contact the GIFF Secretariat before or during the relevant activity.

10. CHILDREN & YOUNG PEOPLE

GIFF may include programmes involving children and young people.

Where minors participate, appropriate consent from a parent, guardian or authorized responsible adult may be required.

GIFF will seek to handle information relating to minors responsibly and only for appropriate festival, safety, administrative or legal purposes.

11. DATA SECURITY

GIFF takes reasonable measures to protect personal information against:

Unauthorized access
Loss
Misuse
Alteration
Disclosure
Destruction

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

Participants should therefore avoid sending unnecessary sensitive information through unsecured communication channels.

12. THIRD-PARTY WEBSITES

The GIFF website may contain links to third-party websites, social media platforms, tourism websites, accommodation providers, sponsors or other external services.

GIFF is not responsible for the privacy practices, security or content of third-party websites.

We encourage users to review the privacy policies of external websites before providing personal information.

13. DATA RETENTION

GIFF will retain personal information only for as long as reasonably necessary for the purposes for which it was collected, including:

Festival administration
Participant records
Financial and accounting requirements
Legal obligations
Dispute resolution
Historical or organizational records where appropriate

The length of retention may vary depending on the type of information and applicable legal requirements.

14. YOUR PRIVACY RIGHTS

Depending on applicable law, you may have rights relating to your personal information, including the ability to:

Request access to information we hold about you
Request correction of inaccurate information
Request deletion where appropriate
Object to certain processing
Withdraw consent where processing is based on consent
Request clarification about how your information is used
Raise a privacy concern or complaint

Requests should be submitted to the GIFF Secretariat using the contact details below.

Some requests may be subject to legal or operational limitations.

15. WITHDRAWING CONSENT

Where GIFF processes personal information based on your consent, you may withdraw that consent where applicable.

Withdrawal of consent does not necessarily affect processing that was lawfully carried out before the withdrawal.

Some information may still need to be retained where required by law or necessary for legitimate administrative purposes.

16. CHANGES TO THIS PRIVACY POLICY

GIFF may update this Privacy Policy from time to time.

Changes may be made to reflect:

Changes in our services
Changes in festival operations
Changes in technology
Changes in applicable law
Improvements to our privacy practices

The updated version will be published on this website with a revised effective date.

17. CONTACT US ABOUT PRIVACY

If you have questions, concerns or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or the way GIFF handles personal information, please contact:

GIFF PRIVACY CONTACT

Ghana International Folklore Festival Secretariat
Accra, Ghana

Privacy Email: privacy@ghanainternationalfolklorefestival.com

General Email: info@ghanainternationalfolklorefestival.com

Website: GhanaInternationalFolkloreFestival.com

YOUR PRIVACY MATTERS

The Ghana International Folklore Festival is committed to creating a welcoming environment where participants, visitors, partners and communities can engage with culture with confidence.

We value the trust placed in us and will continue working to handle personal information responsibly and transparently.

GHANA INTERNATIONAL FOLKLORE FESTIVAL

Celebrating Culture • Connecting Nations • Inspiring Generations

13th–20th July 2027 | Ghana