“For in him we live and move and have our being". As some of your own poets have said, "We are his offspring.”
Acts 17:28
We have a committed Core Team who lead The KiC Fellowship through the principles of listening, honouring, sharing and collaborating. The vision of the Dome given to Tom Harper is a visual representation of how we operate, also enabling others to connect as they might choose.
Dr Clare Fleming
Clare is a photographer and retired GP, living in Bristol. Through her work for the Homeless Health Service and Bristol Specialist Drug and Alcohol Service, she discovered the wisdom and experience of those who have faced and overcome major life-disrupting problems. This showed her that traditional NHS medical and mental health services lack capacity to deal with many forms of ill health, which respond better to healthy relationship-building, story-telling and creative arts. Clare is passionate about personal transformation leading to city transformation – changed people change communities.
She sees her photography as a creative tool that can help us connect with who we are, how we are, and what we could become. She is involved in Christian prayer networks locally and across the South West. Her photographic spiritual reflections are on the KiC YouTube channel.
Helen Watts
Helen became a Christian early in her life. She studied Art and Design at St John’s College, York and was on work placement with the Arts Centre Group [ACG], London, later leading their ‘FLI’ graphics group. After graduating, she wrestled with ‘Art or Mission?’, but did both for ‘STL’, the publishing arm of Operation Mobilisation, and then with the Church Mission Society in London. After various graphics jobs, she worked with CMS for a decade.
Helen’s been a freelance painter, illustrator, graphic designer and artisan in various crafts. She organised ‘Inflame’ at the Streatham Arts Festival, 2012, exhibiting there and at the Lantern Arts Centre. She also led a Prophetic Art group and Family Art sessions, Co-ordinated Literacy work at the Hanbury Community Project and was an English Tutor.
At God’s prompting, Helen and husband Ian, moved to South Bristol in 2015. She was an artist at Burn 24/7 Bristol and David’s Tent events, ministering in Knowle West since 2016. During the pandemic, Helen (with friends) used Creative Arts therapeutically and in worship, and participated in ‘Going Deeper Creatives’ over Zoom. Now, as part of the KiC Core Team, she’s excited to see what God has in store!
Tom Harper
Tom grew up in a pub and attended a unique arts school in the city of Bath. In his early 30s he experienced a powerful encounter with God. The Manic Street Preachers song “Everything must go” sums up the next decade of blind faith in quitting a career with Laing in London for a BA in theology at Trinity Bristol. Marriage to Jenny and family life followed. They both worked part time whilst leading the cross denominational True Vine Prayer Fellowship. The group formed following an outpouring of the Holy Spirit in local homes and included services in prisons and churches. Tom was SW Regional Director of Constructing Excellence producing films and events for the built environment until retirement.
Eleanor J Lee
Eleanor is a visual artist interested in the meeting of art and faith as reflected in the history of Western art, contemporary art and theological debate. Working mostly within the medium of drawing, she studied Fine Art (UWE Bristol) as a mature student while raising her family, gaining a BA class I and a Fine Art research-based MA exploring the fit between art, culture, faith and spirituality onward from the early modern era. Experience and research ground her appreciation of how art and aesthetics help create connections across communities – in her own practice via exhibitions, workshops and talks, and as published author, editor and artist-in-residence in parish contexts. Eleanor attends professional art forums in her areas of interest and is a Bristol diocese Synod member concerned about climate change and mental health justice in church and society.
Malcolm Bourne
Malcolm has been a commissioned artist for over 20 years. In 2005 Malcolm joined the 'Leeky Gallery' as an artist in residence, this experience introduced him into the vibrant Bristol arts scene and provided the opportunity to witness the great benefit of creative cross-pollination when an artist community is formed. Inspired by this, In 2015 he co-founded the social enterprise, Joseph Studios. Joseph Studios is an art collective with a focus on teaching and mentoring through creativity. Malcolm has held several exhibitions for his work and has limited edition prints on a number of his paintings. Much of Malcolm's creative work is in response to his faith and journey as a follower of Jesus. Malcolm has a passion for the wellbeing of individuals and communities and recognises the great health benefits of engaging in the creative process. For several years he has provided personal mentoring/coaching to a varied client base, seeing creativity as a key ingredient in both personal and corporate growth.
Jenny Harper
Jenny is a retired Radiographer, having grown up in a busy household with five sisters very much involved in church life. Her father was a Baptist minister and also Chaplain for the British Sailor's Society, and Her mother trained as a nurse. As a gifted singer and guitarist, Jenny formed a Gospel duo, singing mainly in and around the South West of England, based in a vibrant Anglican church in the centre of Bristol. Jenny sang in this Gospel duo for around 20 years recording and producing four EP's. After her singing Jenny partnered with her husband Tom in leading the True Vine Prayer Fellowship as well as leading the sung worship when Tom was being used as an itinerant preacher. Jenny has a hospitable and pastoral heart and loves to get alongside people with prayer and encouragement. She is actively involved in her local community and volunteers for the preschool near her home.