Meet the Team

A founding member of the organisation, and a passionate proponent of the Arts and its transformative effect on people and communities.

Doug has been a strong voice in temporary use projects, assisting groups all over the country to start up their own community centres from buildings long forgotten and discarded. His own artistic practices as a performer, and as a director and ringmaster of The Invisible Circus, keep him an active part of Bristol’s creative community.

Wim Penhaul is a co founder of Artspace Lifespace in its Bristol incarnation and passionate about the creative re-invention of under used commercial and industrial properties into thriving community resources.

As a Co Director with Invisible Circus he has been instrumental in the development of such projects in Bristol and beyond.

Kara is a practicing architect, lecturer, and advocate for regenerative design and culture. Beyond her work with ASLS she helps to run TEDxBristol and is also a keen allotmenteer.

Her international work includes being a Trustee of Land is Life, an organisation that focuses on representing the voice of Indigenous People globally. Kara also supports community initiatives in her home country, the Philippines. She is driven in all that she does to help create a happier, healthier, and more resilient world for future generations to enjoy.

Aran is a designer, engineer and inventor, passionate about designing for the environment and biodiversity. He has run his own ocean sustainability startup for 10 years, as well as running teaching programmes at the Royal College of Art and Imperial College London. He has arrived at ASLS, passionate about the mission and ready to help the team as a trustee.

A Chartered Accountant (ACA) with a background in audit and valuations / investment monitoring within a wide range of industries.

Her main role outside ASLS is now focused on the valuations of liquid equity and debt asset investments, with prior experience at the Big 4.

Clarissa supports ASLS with earned income strategy & pricing reviews and supporting our Finance Officer with her advanced knowledge of excel.

With over 25 years of experience in the creative economy and the third sector, Melissa is a passionate and strategic Executive Producer and Project Manager, interested in the idea of transformative innovation, of prototyping the future together to create an inclusive, low carbon, fairer society.

Melissa has strong skills in co-designing, managing, and supporting large-scale creative R&D projects, working with diverse and interdisciplinary teams, partners, and funders across the Bristol and Bath region and beyond.

Founder, CEO and Business Transition Consultant with over 35 years of broad commercial experience and a successful track record in start ups, incubation, SME’s and blue chip.

With specialist skills in business development and marketing – delivered fully integrated campaigns across B2C, B2B and internal audiences.

Richard was involved in the beginning of Artspace Lifespace when the Invisible Circus and Artspace Lifespace took on the Pro-Cathedral project.

Peri has worked as a solicitor at Roxburgh Milkins since 2023. She trained as a Solicitor at VWV and previous to that worked for VWV as a commercial paralegal for 4 years.