The Shimmy Club works to strengthen and preserve cultural diversity, consolidate artistic and cultural assets, develop community awareness and unity through arts education and eradicate stigma for persons with disabilities through inclusion practices and programming.
Since 2006, this 501(c)(3) non-profit based in Miami, Florida, has successfully provided fully inclusive, mixed-ability arts and culture education, programs and events to people with disabilities. The organization has distinguished its work by implementing unexpected, original programming in order to successfully achieve goals that promote the core of its philosophy; unity fosters improved quality of life for all persons.
Our major strength is our approach to implementing arts programming which reaches, impacts and heals our community on a broad array of issues simultaneously. Our strong foundation is based upon, 1) work with our most often ignored populations, 2) fostering cultural diversity; activities and collaborations bringing together diverse people from within and beyond communities, 3) providing deliberately intimate, unique opportunities for social equality through interactive participation in the arts, 4) our history of collecting, reporting data outcomes, and 6) our successful grant contract compliance.
That all this has happened under the influence of a counter-clockwise revolution around a dance floor is true testament to the power of the arts to create impact and influence lives.
Our work addresses the need for a broader spectrum of opportunities for people with disabilities. We open the doors to a world of arts, culture, and community – for everyone.