Cookie Policy
Last updated: 20 October 2026This Cookie Policy explains how Art for Awareness ("we," "us," or "our") uses cookies and similar tracking technologies when you visit artforawareness.art (the "Website"). It supplements our Privacy Policy and forms part of our Terms of Service.
Cookies that are strictly necessary are always on. Analytics cookies are used only if you choose “Accept all” in the cookie banner, and you can change your mind at any time with the Cookie Settings link in the footer. Declining is as easy as accepting. Pages that collect children’s details (the entry flow, gallery, results, school kids’ pages) never load analytics or advertising tools, whatever you choose.
1. What Are Cookies?
Cookies are small text files that are placed on your computer, tablet, or mobile device when you visit a website. They are widely used to make websites work more efficiently, as well as to provide information to the website owners. Cookies can be "session cookies" (which are deleted when you close your browser) or "persistent cookies" (which remain on your device for a set period or until you delete them).
In addition to cookies, we may use other similar technologies such as web beacons, pixel tags, and local storage to collect information about your browsing behaviour and device.
2. What We Actually Set
This is the full list as of the date above. If a name is not here, we did not set it.
2.1 Essential (strictly necessary) cookies
These make sign-in and security work. They cannot be switched off and do not need consent.
| Cookie Name | Provider | Purpose | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| aba.sid | artforawareness.art | Keeps you signed in on sign-in based areas (admin, jury, sponsor and school portals, Google sign-in). It is only created when you sign in or use such an area, not when you simply browse. HttpOnly, Secure, SameSite=Lax. | Up to 14 days |
| aba.oauth.return | artforawareness.art | Remembers which page to return you to while you sign in with Google. HttpOnly. | 10 minutes |
| afa_hc | artforawareness.art | Remembers that you passed our “Verify you are human” bot check, so you are not asked again straight away. Set only if the bot check is switched on, and only to visitors who are shown it. HttpOnly. | 30 minutes |
If the bot check is shown, it uses Cloudflare Turnstile, which may set its own technical cookie or storage entry to tell people from bots. See Cloudflare’s privacy policy.
2.2 Analytics cookies (only after you choose “Accept all”)
These help us understand how visitors use our information pages (about, events, FAQ, schools and the category landing pages). They are not loaded until you accept, and never on the entry flow, gallery, results or kids’ pages. Microsoft Clarity runs only on pages without personal-data forms, and every form field is masked.
| Cookie Name | Provider | Purpose | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| _ga | Google Analytics 4 | Counts unique visitors | Up to 2 years |
| _ga_<container ID> | Google Analytics 4 | Keeps session state | Up to 2 years |
| _clck | Microsoft Clarity | Keeps a user ID so repeat visits are recognised | Up to 1 year |
| _clsk | Microsoft Clarity | Links page views into one session | 1 day |
2.3 Measurement without cookies (no consent needed)
We use Vercel Web Analytics and Vercel Speed Insights to count page views and measure page speed. They set no cookies and keep no persistent identifier for you; they record the page, country-level location and device type in aggregate.
2.4 Browser storage (not cookies)
Our pages also use your browser’s local storage. It stays on your device and is not sent to us unless you submit a form.
| Key | Purpose | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| cookie_consent | Remembers your choice in the cookie banner (all or essential) | Until you clear it |
| afa_org, afa_org_banner_dismissed | Remembers a school or organisation referral link you opened, so an entry is credited to it | 14 days |
| afa_chat_draft (session storage) | Keeps your answers on the entry form (not your photos) so they are not lost if the page reloads or you step away to confirm an email. Stays on your device and is removed when you submit, tap Restart, or close the tab | Until you close the tab (at most 6 hours) |
| afa_utm (session storage) | Remembers campaign tags (utm_source and similar) from the link you arrived by, for this visit only | Until you close the tab |
| aba_art_sheet_lead_name, aba_art_sheet_lead_email | Pre-fills the art-sheet download form on your own device | Until you clear it |
| aba_school_partnership, aba_user, aba_local_submissions and a per-user profile cache | Keeps the school-portal view and your own entry details on your device so forms are quicker to complete | Until you sign out or clear it |
| sponsorEventId, sponsorScopeCityId, schoolEventId | Remembers which contest you were viewing in the partner and school portals | Until you clear it |
Our volunteer capture app (/capture, used by staff and volunteers) also keeps photos waiting to upload in your browser’s IndexedDB, and registers a service worker limited to that app.
3. Third-Party Services
These services set cookies or process data when they are active. Each has its own privacy policy:
- Google Analytics 4 (only after “Accept all”) — policies.google.com/privacy
- Microsoft Clarity (only after “Accept all”) — privacy.microsoft.com
- Cloudflare Turnstile (only if the bot check is shown) — cloudflare.com/privacypolicy
- Vercel (hosting, cookieless analytics and speed measurement) — vercel.com/legal/privacy-policy
- Google sign-in (only if you choose “Continue with Google”) — policies.google.com/privacy
We do not currently run advertising cookies, remarketing or social-media tracking pixels, and we do not serve ads. If that changes, we will update this policy first and load any such tool only after you accept.
4. How to Manage Cookies
You have the right to decide whether to accept or reject cookies. You can manage your cookie preferences in the following ways:
Browser Settings: Most web browsers allow you to control cookies through their settings. You can typically find these settings in the "Options," "Preferences," or "Settings" menu of your browser. The following links provide guidance for common browsers:
Cookie Consent Banner: When you first visit our Website, you will see a cookie consent banner with two equal buttons, “Essential only” and “Accept all”. You can change your choice at any time by clicking the “Cookie Settings” link in the footer of our Website. If you switch from “Accept all” to “Essential only”, we remove the analytics cookies we can reach and reload the page.
5. Withdrawing Consent
You may withdraw your consent to the use of non-essential cookies at any time by:
- Clicking the “Cookie Settings” link in the footer of our Website and choosing “Essential only”.
- Adjusting your browser settings to block or delete cookies as described above.
- Contacting us directly at contact@artforawareness.art with your request.
Please note that withdrawing consent for non-essential cookies will not affect the lawfulness of processing based on consent before its withdrawal. Withdrawing consent for essential cookies may impair the functionality of the Website.
6. Impact of Disabling Cookies
If you choose to disable cookies, please be aware that some features of our Website may not function properly. Specifically:
- Disabling essential cookies will prevent you from logging in, submitting artwork, or accessing secure areas of the Platform.
- Disabling analytics cookies will not affect your ability to use the Website, but it will reduce our ability to improve the user experience.
- Clearing browser storage forgets your cookie choice and any form details saved on your device, so the banner will ask again.
7. Changes to This Cookie Policy
We may update this Cookie Policy from time to time to reflect changes in the cookies we use or for other operational, legal, or regulatory reasons. We will notify you of any material changes by posting the updated policy on this page with a revised "Last updated" date.
8. Contact Us
If you have any questions about our use of cookies or this Cookie Policy, please contact us:
Email: contact@artforawareness.art
Website: artforawareness.art