Government funds given to group that offers porn workshop

A Toronto production company that offers a workshop on how to make pornographic films has received thousands of dollars in government grants. Paul

Thousands of dollars in government grants have been given to a Toronto production company that offers a course on producing pornography, which has raised some eyebrows at Queen’s Park.

Trinity Square Video, a not-for-profit centre that offers video production support at accessible rates, includes the course “Grow Yer Own Porn…2012 Style” on its workshop schedule. The course is one of several offered by the organization.

According to the group’s website, the pornography workshop guides participants through lighting, shooting, recording audio and screening for porn.

“ I think we live in a world now where pornography is there,” the group’s executive director Roy Mitchell told CTV Toronto on Thursday.

Over recent years the group has received $250,000 federally from Canadian Heritage & Canada Council for the Arts, $150,000 from the Ontario Arts Council and $150,000 from the Toronto Arts Council.

Progressive Conservative MPP Peter Shurman said he had “great reservations” about the government funds.

“That’s not something that I think government money should be supporting,” he said.

However, Mitchell said the government funding is not directly paying for the pornography workshop, which he said has been taught on and off for eight years.

“It is something that’s pretty mainstream,” said Mitchell. “It really shows the different relationships and power relationships, so let’s talk about those things. Let’s not hide them between the closed door and our computer screen.”

Mitchell added that the course aims to develop a critical eye when making pornographic films.

In a statement to CTV News, Ontario’s Minister of Tourism Culture and Sport Michael Chan said that tax dollars were not used specifically for the pornography workshop. Rather the public funds supported the production company.

With a report from CTV Toronto’s Paul Bliss