SNP quango withdraws support from project that turned out to be ‘hardcore porn’ film

An SNP quango has withdrawn support for a project it backed with £110,000 of public money that turned out to be a “hardcore porn” film.

Creative Scotland said it would attempt to claw back lottery funds that it paid out for the Rein project, claiming its director had breached contractual obligations.

The body, equivalent to the Arts Council in England, paid out £23,219 in “research and development” and a further £84,555 for full development of Rein to artist Leonie Rae Gasson.

She planned to create a 45-minute “moving image installation” in which performers were to be shown on screens performing “non-simulated” sexual acts.

‘Magical, erotic journey’

Creative Scotland claimed that following a review, it had found out that the “central role” that “real sex acts” were to have taken was “a significant change to the nature of the work presented in the original application which was assessed for funding”.

Graphic descriptions of Ms Gasson’s plans, which she published online, showed that she was to pay performers £270 per day to perform sex acts in a “magical, erotic journey through a distinctly Scottish landscape”.

It was planned that the “climax” of the production would be a “secret cave sex party” in which various sex acts were to be seen “exploding on to the screens”.

The award of public money for the project sparked outrage, with feminist groups claiming that it amounted to an endorsement of prostitution and was “nothing more than porn masquerading as art and culture”.

Seeking recovery of funding

A Creative Scotland spokesman said the body had “made the decision to withdraw support for this project and will be seeking recovery of funding paid in respect of this award to date”.

He added: “The central role that ‘non-simulated’ [i.e. real] sex acts now play in the project marks a significant change to the nature of the work presented in the original application which was assessed for funding.

“This significant change to the nature of the work has been evidenced in the most recent announcement on the project’s website, without the agreement of Creative Scotland.

“We support artists and projects across all art forms, some of which are challenging in content, and push creative and social boundaries.

“However, Creative Scotland has important responsibilities to the public for the appropriate use of public funding, and as recipients of that public funding, award recipients also have legal responsibilities as reflected in their funding contract.”

Earlier in the week, Angus Robertson, the SNP culture secretary, said he “shares the concerns” over the funding allocation, adding he sees “no way” where it would have been appropriate.

Neil Bibby, the Labour MSP, said: “This was an extraordinarily inappropriate use of public money and Creative Scotland’s decision to recover it is welcome.

“It is important that lessons are learnt from this debacle so we can ensure public money is spent well in the future.

“In the interests of transparency, the original application should still be published. Creative Scotland must ensure that the funding process is fit for purpose and all public money is used well.”