Audrey Carlin is set to step down as chief executive of the arts and creatives support charity Workshop and Arts Studio Provision, the Scottish charity has announced.

She joined Wasps, which provides studios and facilities for artists and creatives, in 2015 as a senior executive director before she was promoted to the chief executive role in March 2017.

Carlin, who will leave Wasps in April, cited a desire for a new professional challenge as a reason for departing, the charity said.

It said Carlin had led Wasps through an “unprecedented decade of growth”, with a focus on delivering financial sustainability and future-facing support for Scotland’s artistic community.

“Wasps has also evolved as a self-sustaining organisation, and a national asset in a rapidly changing arts landscape,” the charity said.

“This financial resilience has been key in ensuring that Wasps continues to serve its community of artists by providing good-quality studio and creative spaces.”

Carlin said: “It has been a privilege to work for Wasps over the last decade, and I am incredibly proud of the work the team has done, with the support of many partners across Scotland, to ensure the future of the organisation.

“We have created and continue to operate facilities to support the practice of a wonderful community of artists across Scotland now and in the future.

“I’m proud, too, of the transformation our work is delivering in towns and cities across Scotland through the repurposing of historic buildings for creative use, leaving an important legacy for Scotland’s creative community.”

Karen Anderson, chair of Wasps, said Carlin had been a brilliant and inspiring leader of the charity.

“Under her leadership, Wasps has evolved into a modern, forward-thinking and resilient organisation that is not only meeting the needs of artists today but is ensuring that the next generation of creatives will have access to the resources and spaces they need to succeed,” Anderson said.