Matt Giles has spent more than 15 years in professional theatre, building a career that spans artistic direction, producing, and community engagement. He most recently served as Artistic Director of South Carolina Children’s Theatre, where he led a period of significant organizational growth, expanded programming, and helped secure new funding, including the organization’s first-ever grant from the Shubert Foundation.

Previously, Matt was General Manager at Children’s Theatre Company in Minneapolis, the nation’s largest and most acclaimed theatre for young people. In that role, he negotiated agreements to adapt literary works for the stage, oversaw subsequent commission contracts with playwrights, and worked closely with senior leadership on new play development for multigenerational audiences.

Earlier in his career, Matt served as Associate Producing Director at Seattle Rep, where he helped launch Public Works Seattle, a nationally recognized community-engagement initiative. and contributed to the world premiere, pre-Broadway production of Come From Away. He also collaborated on the first regional production of David Byrne’s Here Lies Love, further demonstrating his commitment to adventurous and impactful storytelling.

Beyond his institutional leadership, Matt has served as an adjunct faculty member, been a featured panelist at national conferences on arts leadership and engagement, and consulted for arts organizations across the country.

Guided by the belief that culture is a birthright and art belongs to all, Matt sees theatre as a catalyst for empathy, imagination, and civic vitality. He is passionate about the role theatres can play as living, breathing parts of their communities, places where art not only entertains but also inspires connection and meaningful change.