As the Year of the Rat began, Cloud Gate Dance Theatre's rehearsal space in Pali, northern Taiwan, was razed by a fire ignited by a short circuit in aging electrical wiring. While the inferno destroyed 35 years' worth of documents, records, props, and costumes, the flames have also cast light on the lack of resources available for performing arts groups.
Early in the morning of February 11, while Taiwan was still enveloped in the fun and frivolity of Chinese New Year, Cloud Gate Dance Theatre's rehearsal space in Pali, at the mouth of the Tanshui River in Taipei County, was enveloped by flame. Firefighters were called to the scene as fire swallowed the 9300-square-foot sheet-metal building, with the fire finally extinguished after 5 a.m. Lin Hwai-min, founder of Cloud Gate, rushed to the site as soon as possible, and stated that all life is change and that Cloud Gate would not be defeated by the incident, continuing with the 121 performances already arranged for the year. Despite this, seeing the troupe lose 35 years of hard-won cultural assets is enough to bring one to tears.
After the fire, the blackened building seemed cold and exposed in the 8°C weather. The cruel fact that the Chinese world's first modern dance troupe and one of Taiwan's national treasures had a studio that was little more than a remote sheet-metal building is a reflection of the hardships facing all of Taiwan's performing arts groups.
"Not only has this fire burned down Cloud Gate's rehearsal studio, its flames have also illuminated the tough situation faced by the arts in Taiwan," said Wang Tuoh, appointed chairman of the Council for Cultural Affairs only ten days earlier, of the seriousness of the situation. To help Cloud Gate recover from this disaster, the CCA offered the 2.5-hectare Ching-Mei Human Rights Memorial Park in Taipei City as a temporary replacement studio. Additionally, Wang addressed the issue of insufficient rehearsal spaces for Taiwan's performing arts groups, stating that the CCA would offer 23 idle spaces in creative parks around Taiwan for performing arts groups to rent.
However this solution cannot mask the underlying problem. This fire not only destroyed the rehearsal studio and various characteristic design documents, musical materials, props, and handmade costumes from the troupe's performances, but also sent other intangible cultural assets up in smoke. It also revealed that while the government is willing to spend hundreds of millions of dollars on building museums, galleries, and community centers, Taiwan's performing artists, who help raise Taiwan's voice to the skies internationally, are left in the cold. Take for example U-Theatre, established 20 years ago in Mucha, Taipei City. U-Theatre's mountainside theatre is not only sparse to the point of asceticism, but was even subject to repeated fines and partial demolition before finally being recognized as a cultural destination by the Taipei City Department of Cultural Affairs. Only now are things finally starting to improve.
If the only thing the groups were lacking was somewhere to rehearse, that would be easily addressed, but a place with a creative energy where people can gather together, pursue their ideals, and build a collective memory is what's truly necessary for constant creative progress. Since moving to their space in Pali in 1992, the members of Cloud Gate have grown as artists and people, falling in love, marrying, having children, and even passing on (the troupe mourned the loss of renowned dancer Joy Luo in 2006). This progress down the path of life created a collective memory for the troupe, and built some of Taiwan's most precious artistic memories.
"Viewing the arts as a necessity and a manifestation of national strength, one can see from the level and allocation of budgets that the Taiwanese government has no real vision for Taiwan's artistic future," said Lin Hwai-min grimly, quite unlike his usual graceful attitude, standing in front of the near-unrecognizable remnants of his troupe's studio.
His complaints are not without basis. Between 2001 and 2007, while the CCA budgeted NT$130 million in support for Taiwan's top performing arts groups, this was to be split between over 60 groups. Even Cloud Gate, one of Taiwan's most loved and best funded groups, has faced an astonishing array of difficulties. Those faced by small- and medium-sized groups are nothing short of depressing.
This one fire has ignited the complaints Lin has long held inside, and has cast an ill light on governmental cultural policy and the difficulties Taiwan's performing arts groups face in securing resources. The problem is clear. Whether these groups can rise from the ashes and take wing is down to the policymakers.
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