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New York, NY – March 12, 2025 – TDF is pleased to announce that Matt Chisling will join its recently expanded senior leadership team as VP, Strategic Partnerships & Industry Relations, a new role reflecting the nonprofit's ongoing mission to engage deeply with performing arts industry and community leaders to make the arts more accessible for all. His first day at TDF will be April 1, 2025.

Chisling’s appointment follows TDF’s announcement in fall 2024 of a new leadership structure under Deeksha Gaur, Executive Director, and Michael Naumann, Managing Director. TDF’s senior leadership team also includes Whitney Estrin, VP, Development; Ginger Bartkoski Meagher, VP, Programs; Tymand Staggs, VP, Technology; Nella Vera, VP, Marketing & Communications; and Owen Wiles, VP, Finance & Administration.

In the first full season under the leadership of Gaur, who joined TDF in August 2023, the senior leadership team, in close collaboration with the organization's Board of Trustees, is working to deepen TDF’s impact with the many communities that have been historically underserved by New York City’s performing arts ecosystem, and to build meaningful, lifelong relationships between New Yorkers and the live performing arts. This includes creating a more holistic and user-friendly membership experience; collaborating with city, arts, and community organizations to connect audiences to performances across the five boroughs; and providing more opportunities for audiences to experience art on their own terms.

"Finding, building, and sustaining new audiences is paramount to the future success of the live entertainment industry,” said Chisling of his appointment. “I am so excited to join Deeksha Gaur and the entire TDF team as they work to make sure every New Yorker has access to the arts in a way that also yields material impact for our industry partners. I cannot wait to join an organization so deeply focused on audience development and to ensure our partners feel the benefit of this work for generations to come."

Deeksha Gaur, TDF’s Executive Director, said, "This new leadership role at TDF reflects our commitment to building future audiences for the performing arts in deep partnership with our industry colleagues. These collaborations are central to TDF’s strategy to grow and maximize our impact and build lifelong relationships with audiences that reflect our country and world. Matt's diverse experience across commercial and nonprofit theatre, in New York and on the West End, and spanning marketing, partnerships, and industry relations makes him uniquely positioned to drive this agenda forward. The senior team of TDF is so thrilled to welcome him into our leadership think tank."

MATT CHISLING is a marketing and partnerships veteran with over a decade of experience finding new audiences for live events. Prior to joining TDF, Matt spent five years at TodayTix Group as a partnerships, then marketing and e-commerce merchandising leader within the growing organization. Prior to that, he spent years at AKA NYC working on building landmark partnerships and branded activations for 40+ Broadway, Off-Broadway, and live entertainment events. Matt has previously worked in the UK, holding positions at EMG Ents, Ambassador Theatre Group (now ATG Entertainment), and as a producer of numerous box office-breaking West End and Off-West End productions, including the award-winning UK premiere of The Life. Matt has also guest lectured on marketing for the arts at McGill University, where he previously graduated with a Bachelor's Degree in Marketing. He also holds a Masters of Science from the London School of Economics and Political Science.

ABOUT TDF: Founded in 1968, TDF (formerly known as Theatre Development Fund) is a not-for-profit service organization dedicated to sharing the power of the performing arts with everyone. TDF’s mission is to engage a broad and diverse audience by removing the financial, physical, and invisible barriers to participation in the performing arts. TDF’s initiatives include the TKTS by TDF Discount Booths; TDF Memberships; the TDF Costume Collection; and TDF Accessibility, Education, and Community Programs. Those Programs include open captioned, audio described, and ASL-interpreted performances; Autism Friendly Performances; the Veterans Theatregoing Program; school programs serving more than 11,000 NYC public school students annually; and partnerships with over 150 NYC community organizations serving 18,000 people in the tristate area. TDF envisions a world where the transformative experience of attending live theatre and dance is essential, relevant, accessible, and inspirational.

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