Cloud 9 Tatu

The Space

We are located by stokes croft down a quiet alley that often has free on street parking spots available.
The studio has step free access, an accessible bathroom and large tattoo beds.
The space itself is light and airy and we listen to an array of casual music at a comfortable level, with songs skipped or genre changed on request.
We are happy to work to accommodate any specific needs that someone visiting might have or elaborate on any accessibility that isn’t mentioned here, just let us know!

The Studio Manifesto

Cloud 9 is a Bristol based studio of like-minded tattoo artists. Both as a group and individually we are actively engaged in conversations surrounding Intersectional Feminism, Body Politics, Ableism, Gender Politics, Racism, Mental Health, Class and more both individually and within the tattoo industry. 

This informs the ethics and goals of how our studio is run and together we aim to hold an inclusive and safer space in the hopes that those who visit will have a comfortable experience and have their individual needs heard, respected and met to the best of our abilities. 

We all love to further our knowledge of a wide array of subjects, both directly related to tattooing and safe hygiene practices but also in terms of social issues and ways to provide trauma informed practice. 

We believe that the process of dismantling problematic behaviors and acknowledging mistakes to learn from them is a life long journey, we love to facilitate a healthy learning environment so that people within our space – whether artist or client – feel able to share or learn about how they can adopt an inclusive accessible approach in their own life or practice. 

Our goals for the space 

• Work to provide and maintain a safer/more comfortable space for marginalised people.

• Have zero tolerance for any type of discrimination such as racism, homophobia, transphobia, body shaming, ableism.

• Be a sober space.

• Create an environment where the client and artist are equal.

• Be actively aware of whether a tattoo design might be culturally appropriative. Have conversations that bring this to one another’s attention and hold each other accountable.

Conduct for Studio 

• Everyone is to be treated with respect and dignity.

• Everyone’s pronouns are to be respected, asked for and not assumed.

• No one is to consume drugs or alcohol in the space.

• No tolerance of Homophobia, Transphobia, Racism, Sexism, Classism, Body shaming, Bullying etc.

•Ask before taking photos or videos of your appointment or tattoo and ensure that other individuals in the space aren’t depicted in it unless consent is given.

• Have an awareness and sensitivity that certain topics of conversation can be triggering to other people e.g. drugs, violence, food etc. You may be asked to change a topic of conversation while in the space- please respect this.

• No animals allowed apart from service dogs.

Racism within Tattooing

• We believe that tattoos are for all skin tones.

• Photo editing- tattoo artists are not to desaturate photos of clients- We see how inappropriate, damaging and completely unnecessary this is, we don’t want anyone in the space contributing towards making people with darker skin tones feel like tattoos aren’t for them. 

Conduct for Clients

• While you are welcome to arrive to an appointment with a friend or family member, please ask your artist beforehand if it is ok for them to stay in the studio while you are getting tattooed. If the studio is full and it wasn’t discussed before hand the other person will be asked to hang out in a nearby cafe for the duration of your session.

• Touch- you will have ongoing consent with where you will be touched e.g. depending on where the tattoo is, whether there will be a need to remove or move an item of clothing- this will always be discussed before proceeding to any adjustments or alterations and additional privacy screens can be provided. If the artist needs to lean on or touch a part of the body during the tattoo procedure, they will ask whether this is comfortable and continue to check in throughout the appointment.

• We acknowledge the amount of trust and vulnerability getting a tattoo can involve and the artist will take time with the client to answer any questions and meet their individual needs.

• Photography- When taking photos or videos in the space, make sure to get permission from the artist and any other people in the space who might be visible.
You will be asked in our consent form whether you are comfortable with your photograph being taken, and whether you are happy with the photographs the artist has taken before they add them to their portfolio. You can choose to not have their tattoo photographed, no questions asked.

• Promotion for the studio Instagram- the client will be asked in our consent forms whether they are comfortable with us sharing the photographs taken of the tattoo on the studio page. Occasionally an artist might take promotional photos or videos of the space- when this happens they will ask for consent from everyone present and ensure that anyone not consenting is not depicted.

Conduct for Artists 

• The artist should give the client information about the process and explain in a way that they can understand and answer any questions they have.

• If the Artists client has accessibility needs that might affect others in the space eg sensitivity to light and noise, allergies, extra room for mobility devices, support animals etc the artist should inform other members of the studio.

• Practice ongoing consent with their clients.

• Send the client the consent form prior to their appointment to obtain contact details, relevant medical history, pronouns, individual needs etc. 

• The client must be 18+ to get a tattoo.

• The artist should not pose their client in a sexualised manner for photographs.

• The artist is to adhere to appropriate hygiene standards and cross contamination protocol throughout the appointment.

• The artist should make the tattooing process as comfortable as possible and be empathetic/patient with the client.

• The artist has the right to decline a tattoo.

Info about the process for clients 

• Everyone has different pain thresholds/tolerance but judging from placement, size etc the artist should be able to give the client an idea of pain levels so they can make an informed decision. 

• The artist will give advice on size/placement that they feel would work well but this is a joint process. If you do not feel confident with the size or placement you will not be forced to get a tattoo.

• The artist will make sure that the client is 100% happy with the size and placement of the stencil before proceeding with the tattoo. 

• The artist will provide the client with adequate information regarding the tattoo process and aftercare, the client is free to ask questions before and during the appointment, and send a follow up email if there are further questions throughout the healing process.

• Breaks- the client is free to take as many breaks as needed. The artist should also check in regularly throughout the tattoo.

• Snacks- clients are encouraged to bring some food/snacks and a beverage to their appointment, especially for longer sessions. There is tap water available.

• Privacy- there is a screen available, however if a client requires a higher level of privacy this can be discussed with their artist to arrange a suitable appointment.

• Noise levels/Music change- the client can ask the artist to turn down or change the music at any point, no questions asked. 

•Sensitive topics of conversation- We understand that some topics of conversation can be distressing and make you uncomfortable or unsafe. The client can ask the artist to change the topic of conversation in the studio at any point, no questions asked. 

• Support person- if the client requires someone to accompany them during their appointment this is welcomed however they will need to let the artist know beforehand.