Cloud Gate's recent fire

Taiwan's living cultural treasure, the Cloud Gate Dance Theater suffered a huge loss with their recent rehearsal studio fire. The fire, perhaps due to faulty electrical wiring, caused the warehouse to disintegrate immediately into ashes.
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Costumes, stage design, props, works created by artist Cai Guo-qiang, and the group's decades-long archive were all destroyed in the blaze.
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As reported in the news Lin Hwai-min, Cloud Gate's director, thanked the assistance that the group received but also criticized government cultural policy, saying that the Council for Cultural Affairs has an annual budget of $100 million NT (www.xe.com) for performing groups. Since there are many high quality performing groups and as performances given abroad acts as cultural diplomacy, the funds are laughable to say the least.
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Lin is quoted in the China Post as, "The phenomenon is astonishing, but the government's investment in culture is only a fraction of what is needed."
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Anyways, the show must go on. The troup is scheduled for 121 performances this year, including a seven week overseas tour with performances at the Guggenheim Museum.

http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/front/archives/2008/02/12/2003400883