Culture Shock Miami was started by the Miami Dade Department of Cultural Affairs. It’s a program intended to encourage interests in culture, the arts and museums in teens and young adults of the Miami Dade County area. This program offers teens and young adults ages 13 to 22 tickets to events for only $5. Culture Shock Miami offers tickets to concerts, museums, plays and much more. According to the Miami Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs, “there are all kinds of amazing shows, museums and attractions to check out in Miami-Dade County! From dance, music and theatre to modern art and history museums and everything in between.”
Gerry Landreth, the project administrator at the Miami Dade County department of Cultural Affairs who helped to develop the Culture Shock Miami, told the Miami Herald, “Arts organizations have been feeling the ill effects of aging audiences for some time. With shrinking budgets, their primary focus has become maintaining an audience as opposed to cultivating new ones. Culture Shock Miami helps reach a younger market in ways that a typical organization cannot.”
According to Mary-Margaret Dale, a program director at Culture Shock Miami, Culture Shock Miami “was formed of the the need to provide affordable access to the arts for teen and young adults. For families, especially, it’s very hard for the entire family to experience the arts together in an affordable way.” The Miami-Dade Department of Cultural Affairs founded this program based on research that suggests that individuals start to form their appreciation for culture and the arts at a young age.
Some featured events include “The Little Mermaid Jr.” presented by the Area Stage Company and #CelloLove presented by Thomas Mesa and Frost Music Live. “The Little Mermaid Jr.” is the Area Stage Company’s retelling of the Broadway musical “The Little Mermaid.” Frost Music Live present #CelloLove with Thomas Mea and the Frost Cello Ensemble. This event takes place at the Gusman Concert Hall on Feb. 10. Thomas Mesa is an award-winning concert cellist, who performs compositions by Beethoven, Schumann, Rachmaninoff and Debussy.
You can find a list of the events on the Culture Shock Miami website, www.cultureshockmiami.com. Tickets are also included on the website and can be purchased two at a time. After purchasing tickets, print out your email confirmation and grab your SharkCard before going to the venue to immerse yourself in the arts.
