Meet the Team

The Island has a small core staff team and is one of the projects of Artspace Lifespace, a registered Charity. Over 150 artists are studio holders and another 200 artists from all disciplines are affiliated with The Island through their studios and use of our creative spaces. The Island Venue which is run by our trading subsidiary Artspace Lifespace enterprises ltd is managed by an all-female team.

Operations & Management Team

Venues Support Staff

Sabrina Shirazi

Sabrina Shirazi

Assistant to Venue Manager – Arts Mansion

Our Board

We are very lucky to have an inspirational and committed board who help make great things happen at Artspace Lifespace.

Our core staff is supported by a board of Trustees. Over 300 artists are affiliated with The Artspace Lifespace Project through their studios and creative businesses.

Doug-Francis

Doug Francis

Trustee

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.

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Wim Penhaul

Trustee

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-de-los-Reyes

Kara de Los Reyes

Trustee

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.

Anthony Elliott

Anthony Elliot

Trustee

Anthony is a project manager for energy, innovation and digital design. He joined Artspace Lifespace in 2019 and enjoys working on new ideas, strategic thinking, and making things inclusive for all parts of society.

Anthony is also an artist, his main medium is photography and has taken part in arts projects across Bristol including providing support the the Haunting Ashton Court Project.

Clarissa Jeakings stands in front of a lake, smiling at the camera. She is wearing a grey shirt, a black blazer and a floral silk scarf.

Clarissa Jeakings

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.

Melissa

Melissa Blackburn

Trustee

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.

richard

Richard Irvine

Trustee

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.

Profile image of a female with long hair. She is smiling and wearing a black jacket and a necklace.

Peri Stefanou

Trustee

Peri is a Trainee Solicitor at VWV and previous to that worked for VWV as a commercial paralegal for 4 years.