Holyrood launches probe into Creative Scotland funding of 'hardcore' sex film project

Culture committee suggests funding application should be published

MSPs are demanding answers

The Scottish Parliament has launched a probe into Creative Scotland’s decision to provide almost £85,000 to an artist who wanted to film 'non-simulated' sex scenes for a project.

Holyrood’s culture committee is investigating the award to Leonie Rae Gasson and demanding answers from the Scottish Government’s arts agency over why it decided to back the director’s proposals.

Creative Scotland has been told to provide MSPs with detail of the full criteria and process for handling funding applications

Iain Munro is chief executive of Creative Scotland (Picture: Kat Gollock)

The committee has suggested Creative Scotland publish the funding application for the project Rein “in the interests of accountability and transparency.”

Chief executive Iain Munro has been warned that he may be asked to give evidence to MSPs on its support for the project.

He has been told the committee has decided to investigate the funding award as there is “legitimate public interest in how public money is spent."

The probe has been announced days after Creative Scotland warned funding applicants that they may have to wait an additional four weeks for decisions due to additional “due diligence” and “risk” checks now being carried out as part of its review of its handling of Rein.

Leonie Rae Gasson was awarded £84,555 by Creative Scotland for her moving image installation project Rein. Picture: Julie Howden

Gasson’s project drew widespread criticism after Creative Scotland shared a call-out for performers, including people with “experience of sex work, particularly in porn contexts”, and highlighted how some of the roles would involve “hardcore” acts.

The culture committee, which is chaired by SNP MSP Clare Adamson, has intervened after culture secretary Angus Robertson said there was “no way” the project – which was described as “a magical, erotic journey through the Scottish countryside” – should have received public funding.

Creative Scotland later pulled the plug on its support for the project and revealed it would be “seeking recovery” of the funding from Gasson, who has previously working with the National Theatre of Scotland, the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, Youth Theatre Arts Scotland, the Royal Lyceum Theatre, the Traverse Theatre, Dance Base and the Take Me Somewhere festival.

Gasson’s grant accounted for more than 10 per cent of the available budget for National Lottery "open fund" applications to Creative Scotland in January.

Leonie Rae Gasson was awarded £84,555 from Creative Scotland for her multi-screen film installation project Rein. Picture: Pixabay/Tracy Smith

The funding body launched an investigation into his own decision and the description of the project which it shared on its website earlier this month after Gasson’s plans drew criticism on social media.

It has claimed that the project description was considerably more explicit than the one it agreed to fund and has accused Gasson of breaching her funding contract by proposing to film “real” sex acts.

However Creative Scotland has so far refused to publish the funding application which it approved.

In a letter to Mr Munro, Ms Adamson said: “The committee notes public concerns around Creative Scotland’s funding award to the project Rein.

“The committee also notes your decision to withdraw support for this project and to seek recovery of funding paid in respect of this award to date.

“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.

"On this basis, the committee would welcome clarification in relation to how much money has been allocated to the project to date and details of the process for seeking recovery of this money, and details of the criteria and process for considering funding applications.

“The committee also believes that, in the interests of accountability and transparency, consideration should be given to publishing the original funding application.

"The committee may also wish to invite you to give oral evidence once we have had the opportunity to consider the conclusions of your review.”

A spokeswoman for Creative Scotland said: “We have received the enquiry from the convenor of the culture committee and will respond accordingly.”