After ten years in the tattooing industry, I could see that if I wanted to be in the sort of environment I though was healthy and cool, I was going to have to make it happen myself.

What I want more than anything, is a place to work where there are a plurality of voices and perspectives, and a genuine desire to be healthy and happy. I think this is really the way that we are going to create powerful transformative tattoo experiences for everyone seeking them.

With Ritual, I’m trying to create a place where there are guard-rails in place, that help ensure that clients end up with a truly uplifting tattoo experience.

Often I will mention a point on our Declaration of Professional Ethics to a tattooer, they will sort of scoff, like “yeah, of course…” but there is literally nothing on there that I haven’t seen done the wrong way before. Even though it seems like many of these things should go without saying, whenever I start a public conversation about a point on the declatration, people will speak up with stories of coersion, privacy breaches, assault… the list goes on.

Please look through these documents to get a sense of what drives us, and what I’m trying to do to ensure that Ritual is as safe and uplifting as possible.

-Bram

We commit to work in a clean and safe manner, and follow best practices as relates to health and safety, cross-contamination, and the application of a tattoo that is no more damaging to the skin than is necessary for the making of a strong and permanent mark. 

Behaviour that may be triggering or hurtful, including but not limited to:  homophobia, racism, ableism, sexism, violence, abuse etc…. Behaviour of this type will not be tolerated from Employees or Clients.

Whereas a power imbalance exists between practitioner and recipient, We commit to refrain from any acts that may be construed as coercion.  The potential recipient of a tattoo always has the final say and may revoke consent to being tattooed at any time. 

We recognize that the Client/Artist relationship is a professional care relationship, and as such, it is necessary to avoid entering into dual relationships, sexual or otherwise with people accessing our professional services.

We recognize that tattoos are permanent and inalterable, and commit to using our best judgement to create tattoos that will empower and uplift the recipient, and refrain from applying any tattoo that may be detrimental to their wellbeing or safety.

Meaningful and informed consent by the client to be tattooed is essential for the safety of both the client and the tattooer, therefore, neither party may be under the influence of recreational drugs before or during the ritual of tattooing. 

Whereas it is required by law, and pertinent to the client’s safety that we collect private data, including medical data, we commit to keeping this information safe and confidential until such time as we are legally or otherwise permitted to dispose of it in a secure way.

We recognize that the Client/Artist relationship is one founded in good-faith, and recognize our responsibility to be sensitive to the needs of our clients and to respond accordingly, with their needs being of the highest value.