The Golden Ticket Arts Guide is a calendar-style booklet with free offers to cultural arts events and venues for Miami-Dade County senior residents ages 62 and over. Each GT Arts Guide contains GT Arts Guide tickets that may be redeemed by senior residents 62 and older to attend the events offered in the GT Arts Guide. For more information, click here.

Three central goals serve as guideposts for our work:
* Securing more public and private resources to invest in and promote cultural development;
* Developing better cultural facilities in neighborhoods throughout Miami-Dade; and
* Making cultural activities more accessible for our residents and visitors.

Grants Programs: A balanced portfolio of fifteen matching grants programs designed to invest public funding in support of cultural activities, individual artists and facilities improvements. Our fair and equitable public process for allocating public funds has earned a national reputation for openness and effectiveness.

Technical Assistance: Training through group workshops and individual counseling sessions is offered to cultural organizations and artists to help advance their work.

Facilities Improvement and Management: Currently, work is underway to improve and develop 15 cultural facilities in neighborhoods throughout the County with $54 million in County funding support. In addition, the Council and Department are working on establishing effective management structures and programming initiatives for this network of facilities. This will ensure that these capital improvements result in well-run and well-attended venues for artists, cultural groups and their audiences.

Communications and Publications: Information about the cultural community is developed and promoted through such vehicles as a biannual calendar of events, our website, directories of cultural organizations and of arts education opportunities, a discount guide to cultural activities, economic impact of the arts studies and cultural planning brochures. These promotional efforts are magnified by the Council’s close collaborations with such civic organizations as the Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce, the Greater Miami Convention and Visitors Bureau, and municipal arts councils, including the Miami Beach Cultural Arts Council, the Coral Gables Cultural Affairs Council and the Hialeah Arts Board.

Arts Education and International Cultural Exchange: Through new initiatives like Arts for Learning Miami and the Discount Student Ticket Program, the Council is establishing its commitment to reach young audiences by utilizing the Internet and special, discount ticket offers. This work is being complemented by training programs for teachers, artists, administrators and social service organizations to ensure that arts education programming is integrated with the school curriculum, is utilized by community-based organizations and reflects the community’s cultural excellence and diversity. In addition, the Council pursues international cultural exchange opportunities to deepen the appreciation and advance the development of our community’s many cultures and heritages.

Advocacy and Outreach: The Council provides leadership regarding key local, state and national issues that affect cultural growth. The Department created Culture Shock which provides $5 tickets to students and, in 2004, launched Golden Ticket which provides senior citizens free access to a wide array of the County’s arts events. In addition, the Council initiates special outreach efforts to promote cultural diversity, access and collaborations. These include helping to establish and support coalitions and service organizations like the Diaspora Arts Coalition, the Children’s Cultural Coalition, the Arts and Business Council, the Hispanic Cultural Caucus, the Theatre League of South Florida, the Haitian Artists Network, the Greater Miami Festivals and Special Events Association and the Dade Cultural Alliance, among others.

Planning: For the past 17 years, the Council has conducted an annual action planning process. By design, it involves the public in helping to evaluate the Council’s work and make recommendations for the future. An annual brochure sets forth updated goals and objectives and its accompanying series of town meetings solicits input and partnerships to advance this work.