About us
Human Story Theatre focuses on new plays with a health and social care issue at heart. We are passionate that theatre is for all and believe by highlighting health and social care issues within our productions, that it is an exciting way to engage, entertain and raise awareness. We ‘pop-up’ in any designated space with minimal set, giving a shared light shared space experience.
Our History
Human Story Theatre was founded by Amy Enticknap and Gaye Poole in 2016. They met in 2006 working as role-players and facilitators in teaching communication skills to medical students, qualified nurses, doctors and midwives.
Straddling the two worlds of make-believe and real-life crystallised the idea of Human Story Theatre. It became the perfect vehicle for their concerns regarding health and social care. Gaye’s desire was to help communities using her tools as a writer and actor to convey important messages in theatre form. She moved away from Oxfordshire and HST in 2020.
Meet the team
Amy Enticknap
Artistic Director & Co-Founder
Amy trained as an actor at The Oxford School of Drama. As Artistic Director of Human Story Theatre, she is passionate about exploring real-life issues and uniting communities through the power of theatre and discussion. Her parallel work as a communication skills coach in the health and social care sector enhances her role within HST. Through this work, she aims to improve clinicians’ communication to strive for better health outcomes and being an expert in communication through performance, aims to do the same with the productions HST produces. Amy has produced all projects thus far, including the podcast and short films.
Alex Wright
Design & Digital Marketing
Alex has been with Human Story Theatre since the beginning. He created our visual brand identity, continues to design marketing collateral for our ongoing projects, and provides support through digital marketing strategies.
Alex is an experienced Senior Graphic Designer with a demonstrated history of working in the Design industry for over 20 years. Skilled in Design for Print, Web Design, Logo Design, Branding, Marketing Creative and Photography, he runs AW Design based in Oxfordshire.
Dr Shamila Wanninayake
Associate GP
Shamila Wanninayake is an Oxfordshire GP working at The Manor Surgery. Together with 20 years of clinical experience, she has a long held interest in obesity, developed through her first degree of Psychology where she was involved in Obesity research at Leeds University. She currently supports the Oxfordshire Multidisciplinary Working group for Healthy Weights in childhood and sits on the National Child Measurement Programme Board (NCMP). She lobbies central government through the All Party Parliamentary Group on a Fit and Health Childhood and is involved in Health Policy & Governance as Council Member for the Royal College of General Practitioners. On both a professional and personal level she supports mental health delivery for children and young people, recognising the impact of stigma, social media and societal and cultural influences on the their health & wellbeing. Shamila is working with Human Story Theatre to explore and convey important messages to teenagers around weight, mental health and stigma as well as developing a network of GPs interested in tackling overweight and obesity.
Board of Trustees
Steve Hughes
Trustee
Maureen Fairweather Hole
Trustee
Having been helped to read by my first drama teacher I have had a life-long interest in drama and theatre. After leaving school, having unsuccessfully auditioned for drama schools, I was not sure in what direction I wanted to go and started working in a library, as a personal assistant and then in an occupational therapy department of a psychiatric hospital engaging patients through drama and music. This helped me make my decision to train as a teacher with drama as my specialism initially with the view to working specifically with pupils with learning difficulties.
I have since been privileged to work in schools, with a wide range of students, in Kent and Oxfordshire as a drama teacher, head of department and faculty, Senior management and my final role was as Director of Visual and Performing Arts specialism which entailed working with the arts across the school, local community, partnership primary schools and with artists and companies developing projects in a range of arts medium. This was a role I thoroughly enjoyed and where you could observe the difference the arts can make to community well-being and cohesion.
Being involved with Human Story Theatre is a way of supporting a theatre company that is delivering exciting opportunities, promoting health and well-being but also thought provoking theatre that is reaching out to wider audiences.
Helen Fountain
Trustee
Helen Fountain is Age Friendly Creative Manager with Age UK Oxfordshire and supports the Oxfordshire Age Friendly Creative Network. Alongside this Helen is a Museums Learning and Community Engagement freelancer currently working with Culture Coventry and West Midlands Regional Champion for Museums with the Culture, Health and Wellbeing Alliance. Helen is a Dementia Friends Champion and has contributed a paper on the value of Museum’s Reminiscence work for the book “The Caring Museum” edited by Hamish L Robertson and published by Museums Etc
Danielle Battigelli
Trustee
Marion Lynch
Trustee
Professor Marion Lynch is registered nurse and a creative health consultant, with 40 years experience in nursing, public health and clinical education and an academic with a Doctorate in the health and arts. She has led arts in health and gender equity initiatives globally, and worked with HST almost since our start, commissioning plays and being on the Q and A panels. Alongside this she has worked in health as a public health specialist, has been a NHS national director and worked with Governments and Charities globally to improve the quality of care. Her profound impact in this field was also highlighted when she addressed the United Nations in 2023 speaking on the sustainable development goals. In 2024 she was recognised in the New Year's Honours and received the British Empire Medal (BEM) for her services to women and children in Africa. She is Trustee with other charities and a Visiting Professor in London and so brings with her the passion for the arts in health, the knowledge and networks HST needs to thrive.
Dr Suzanne Stewart
Trustee
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