Creative Scotland has announced it is withdrawing its support for an explicit arts project that boasted “non-simulated” sex performances and will seek to claw back public funding paid to the production.
A total of £84,555 was awarded to director Leonie Rae Gasson for the development of Rein in the January round of the art body’s National Lottery Open Fund.
The project has been billed as a 45-minute multi-screen moving image installation that “immerses audiences in a raucous communal exploration of dyke sexuality”.
However, it has come under scrutiny as the show’s climax has been advertised as a “secret cave sex party”.
Participants over the age of 18 have been called to get involved, with budding performers offered £270 per day to take part in a range of scenes – including “snogging”, “vanilla sex” and “more hardcore acts”.
It has been described as a “pro-sex and pro-sex work/er project”, with those with experience in the porn industry encouraged to apply.
After Rein hit the headlines at the weekend, Creative Scotland issued a statement saying the project’s application did not indicate how explicit the art installation was.
‘Creative Scotland has made the decision to withdraw support’
In an update on Thursday, the arts body said the latest phase of the project breached the conditions of the funding award.
A Creative Scotland spokesperson said: “Following a review of the application, assessment, and contractual agreement regarding the project Rein, Creative Scotland has made the decision to withdraw support for this project and will be seeking recovery of funding paid in respect of this award to date.
“What has emerged in the latest phase of the project represents a breach of the conditions of funding award, as the nature of the project has changed.
“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.”
Politicians and campaigners raised concerns about the project receiving public money.
Campaign group For Women Scotland said prostitution and pornography are “rightly considered violence against women and contribute to the dehumanisation of women and regressive and harmful attitudes”.
At Holyrood on Tuesday, Scotland’s culture secretary told MSPs he shared the concerns raised and would await the outcome of Creative Scotland’s review.
And at Westminster on Thursday, Commons leader Penny Mordaunt compared Rein to a “hardcore porn movie”.
Labour MSP Neil Bibby raised the matter at Holyrood and said the acts were so explicit that “psychological aftercare” was offered to performers.
Following the announcement, Mr Bibby 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 learned 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.”
The arts body has said it is unable to release the full application due to “business confidentiality”.
Creative Scotland said it makes in the region of 2,000 funding awards each year.
The spokesperson added: “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.”
Glasgow-based director Ms Gasson has been contacted for comment.
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