Creative Scotland retracts funding for explicit theatre project

Creative Scotland faces criticism for funding a project with explicit sexual content.

Creative Scotland awarded funds to explicit project amid ongoing backlash

Creative Scotland is under fire for awarding £84,555 to a theatre project named Rein, which involves actors in non-simulated sex scenes. Documents reveal that the organization was aware, nine months before the funding was granted, that the project would feature a "sex scene with genital contact." Following public outcry over the explicit nature of the project, Creative Scotland has since retracted the bulk of the funding and sought reimbursement, noting that it breached contractual agreements.

The funding decision raises serious concerns about transparency in public allocation of arts funds. Creative Scotland claimed to have been aware of the project's explicit themes but only acted decisively when the project went public with its call for participants. This situation illustrates a broader issue within publicly funded creative projects where the boundaries of artistic expression and public accountability collide, leading to fierce political backlash and calls for greater oversight.

Highlights

The fallout from this funding decision may prompt changes in how arts grants are evaluated.