Tish Francis

Tish Francis DL has served as Deputy Lieutenant for Oxfordshire since 2001. She is part of the Lieutenancy team focused on Oxford West.

Tish has spent her professional career as a Producer and Director of a series of significant cultural and community enterprises. In London, these have included Vauxhall City Farm, Graeae Theatre, Covent Garden Community Association, Diorama Arts, The Almeida Theatre and Shared Experience Theatre’s Soho Laundry Project.

Moving to Oxford, Tish became Director of Oxford Playhouse in 1989, and was jointly responsible for its redevelopment and reopening in 1991, and for leading the theatre’s renaissance thereafter until its 70th anniversary in 2008.  She was a founder of Oxford Inspires and the charitable festival enterprise Oxfordshire 2000, which mounted Oxfordshire's Own Millennium Festival (OOMF!) followed, amongst others, by the 2002 Golden Jubilee and Open City Festival. In 2008 she was awarded an Honorary Doctorate (Arts) by Oxford Brookes University for her contribution to the arts

Tish became co-Director of The Story Museum in 2009, spearheading its capital campaign and helping to find and build it a home in the heart of Oxford.

Tish lives in North Hinksey with her husband Douglas.