MSPs demanding answers over arts cash for porn film

AN arts boss has been warned he may have to give evidence to Holyrood after a ‘hardcore’ sex project was handed almost £85,000 of public cash.

The Scottish parliament’s culture committee has called for transparency from Creative Scotland over how much taxpayers’ money has already been handed out to the Rein film, as well as asking for clarity over the application procedure.

In January, the film received £84,555 through the National Lottery Open Fund. However, Creative Scotland said the original application did not have the explicit acts listed and has argued they breached the conditions of the funding award.

It has withdrawn the funding after a huge public backlash and will seek reimbursement for the project, which was recruiting actors to participate in real, explicit, sex scenes.

Now the culture committee has written to Iain Munro, chief executive of the public arts body, to express a ‘legitimate public interest’ in how the funding decision was made.

The letter also states the committee’s belief that it is in the ‘interest of accountability and transparency’ that Creative Scotland should consider publishing the original funding pitch after it said it would not do so.

Clare Adamson, the culture committee convener, said: ‘While we recognise that it would not be appropriate for the committee to be involved in individual funding decisions, there is nevertheless a legitimate public interest in how public money is spent.’

She said the MSPs on the committee were also seeking clarification on how much money has been allocated to the project and details of the process for recovering this cash.

Besides seeking additional details on the criteria and process for considering funding applications, the committee has advised Mr Munro he may be invited to give evidence.

The letter added: ‘The committee also believes that, in the interest of accountability and transparency, consideration should be given to publishing the original funding application.’

The project’s website describes it as a 45-minute art installation paying a fee of £270 per day for scenes that would have ranged from ‘just snogging... vanilla sex and other more hardcore acts’.

As well as stating that ‘cam or porn experience’ is needed for some scenes it also stated: ‘D/ deaf, disabled, chronically ill and neurodivergent performers are very welcome, many of the team identify this way.’

In the pitch on her website, the project’s director, Leonie Rae Gasson, invited prospective audience members to ‘come see the daddies lurking in the woods’ and ‘a secret cave sex party’.

It went on to describe a ‘multiscreen, moving-image installation that immerses audiences in a raucous communal exploration of dyke sexuality... through a distinctly Scottish landscape’.

Creative Scotland has been approached for comment.