What Wasps does

Wasps — formally Workshop & Artists Studio Provision (Scotland) Limited — is a Scottish registered charity founded in 1977 that provides affordable creative workspace to more than 1,000 artists, makers, and creative micro-businesses across 18 sites spanning from Shetland to the Scottish Borders. Its core products are physical: artist studios, creative offices, dedicated desks, exhibition and project spaces, hotdesking, residencies (notably The Admiral's House on Skye and The Booth in Shetland), and event hire, anchored by the A-listed Briggait Clydeside Halls in Glasgow (nearly 16,000 sqft) and South Block (50,000 sqft). Wasps also operates Wasps Shop, an online marketplace where tenant artists sell directly to consumers, with purchases supported by the Own Art interest-free financing scheme (Creative United, funded by Hitachi Personal Finance).

Revenue mechanics are diversified across subscription-style recurring studio and office rentals, transaction-based event hire, marketplace facilitation, and exhibitions/programme income. Pricing for studio space is quote-based rather than publicly listed, while dedicated desks are priced transparently (e.g., £125/month at Perth Creative Exchange). The customer base is split between individual artists and makers (primary), creative industry professionals and freelancers, and local communities and arts organisations using hire and exhibition facilities.

Strategically, Wasps combines direct ownership and long-term leases of historic buildings with co-development partnerships — most prominently with Perth & Kinross Council on the £4.5m Perth Creative Exchange and with City of Edinburgh Council on the Granton Waterfront regeneration. Recent additions (Inverness Creative Academy in 2021, Riverside House in Edinburgh in 2023, Granton Station in 2023, and the UNESCO-funded community kiln and photography darkroom at Perth in 2025) show a measured expansion pace funded by public-sector capital and grants rather than equity. Profits from venues such as the Briggait are reinvested into the charity's mission, and Wasps holds GDPR compliance certification alongside membership in the Green Arts Initiative.

Name

Wasps

Legal name

Workshop & Artists Studio Provision (Scotland) Limited

Website

https://waspsstudios.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1977

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Wasps is a Scottish registered charity, founded in 1977, that operates 18 creative workspace sites across Scotland — studios, offices, residencies, and event hire — serving over 1,000 artists, makers, and creative micro-businesses through recurring rentals, event hire, and an online marketplace.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Glasgow

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices18 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Infrastructure, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Studio and Workspace Rental: Monthly rental income from artist studios, creative office spaces, dedicated desks, and residency accommodations across 18 sites in Scotland.
2. Marketplace Commission: Wasps Shop operates as a marketplace/agent for independent artists and makers within the Wasps network. Customers purchase directly from artists who dispatch goods themselves. Wasps appears to facilitate the platform.
3. Spaces for Hire: Event hire revenue from spaces including The Briggait Clydeside Halls (nearly 16,000 sqft), meeting rooms, and project spaces available for hire.
4. Exhibition and Programme Revenue: Revenue from exhibitions, events, and arts programming including workshops and classes at various locations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Wasps is Scotland's registered charity provider of creative spaces, operating 18 sites across the country from Shetland to the Borders. The organization rents affordable artist studios, creative offices, exhibition spaces, hotdesks, and artist residencies to over 1,000 artists and makers. It also runs the Wasps Shop online marketplace for tenant artists to sell artwork directly, and operates event hire venues such as The Briggait Clydeside Halls in Glasgow.

Product overview

Wasps is Scotland's provider of creative spaces, established in 1977, operating 18 sites across Scotland from Shetland to the Borders. The organization offers a portfolio of interconnected products and services: Artist Spaces providing studios for visual artists, Exhibition/Project Spaces for showcases and workshops, Creative Office Spaces for creative industries, Spaces for Hire including the iconic Briggait venue, Hotdesking/Fixed Desks for freelancers, Residencies at remote locations like Skye and Shetland, and the Wasps Shop online marketplace. Add-on services include Own Art Finance for interest-free artwork loans, Community Kiln Room and Darkroom facilities, business incubation, and the Graduate Accelerator programme. The Arts Programme coordinates exhibitions and events across the network. The portfolio works together to provide end-to-end creative workspace solutions from studio provision through to sales channels and professional development.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Wasps Shop: Online marketplace for independent artists and makers within the Wasps network to sell artwork including paintings, prints, ceramics, jewellery, textiles, and homewares.
• The Briggait Clydeside Halls
• The Steeple
• Granton Station

Quantifiable outcome

• Nearly 50 years of continuous operation providing creative spaces
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Perth UNESCO City of Craft and FolkcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 31 July 2025Partnership to deliver community assets (kiln room and darkroom) at Perth Creative Exchange, supporting the UNESCO City of Design activities.
• Edinburgh CollegeminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2023Local creative partner in the Granton Station Graduate Accelerator project supporting emerging artists.
• North Edinburgh ArtsminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2023Local creative partner in the Granton Station Graduate Accelerator project.
• National Galleries of ScotlandminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2023Cultural institution partner in the Granton Station Graduate Accelerator project.
• National Museum of ScotlandminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2023Cultural institution partner in the Granton Station Graduate Accelerator project.
• Edinburgh CouncilminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2023Council partner in the Granton Station Graduate Accelerator project as part of the Granton Waterfront regeneration.
• Perth and Kinross CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner£4.5m partnership project to transform former St John's School into Perth Creative Exchange. Partnership includes ongoing collaboration on community arts programming and UNESCO City of Craft and Folk designation activities.
• City of Edinburgh CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to transform Granton Railway Station into a creative hub as part of the Granton Waterfront Regeneration Project.
• Shetland Arts TrustcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to manage The Booth residency space in Scalloway, Shetland. The Booth was constructed by Scalloway Waterfront Trust.
• Creative ScotlandcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFunding and support partner for The Old Library redevelopment in Stromness, Orkney, alongside Orkney Islands Council and Highlands and Islands Enterprise.
• Orkney Islands CouncilminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in The Old Library redevelopment alongside Creative Scotland and Highlands and Islands Enterprise.
• Highlands and Islands EnterpriseminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in The Old Library redevelopment alongside Creative Scotland and Orkney Islands Council.
• Creative UnitedcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInitiative behind Own Art programme that makes original art and craft accessible through interest-free loans. Wasps is part of the growing network of galleries, fairs and arts organisations.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Bow Arts: Charitable organization operating affordable artist studios, creative workspace, and a makers' marketplace across East London, mirroring Wasps' combination of studio provision, retail, and artist development.
• Acme Studios: London-based charity providing affordable artist studios across multiple sites; the most direct UK analogue to Wasps in mission and operating model of providing subsidized creative workspace to artists.
• Spike Island: Bristol-based arts charity combining affordable artist studios with a contemporary art gallery and public programmes; directly comparable to Wasps' hybrid studio/exhibition/community model.
• Edinburgh Sculpture Workshop: Charitable artist-run organization providing specialist sculpture studios, workshops, and education in Edinburgh; comparable to Wasps' specialist creative facilities (e.g., kiln room, darkroom) and core mission.

Regional players

• Summerhall: Edinburgh arts venue and creative hub hosting exhibitions, events, and residencies in a repurposed historic building; overlaps with Wasps' events/exhibition revenue streams and heritage-building redevelopment approach.
• Hospitalfield: Arbroath-based heritage arts centre in Scotland offering residencies, studios, and public programmes; comparable to Wasps' residency and community programming arm though more focused on a single historic property.
• CCA Glasgow (Centre for Contemporary Arts): Glasgow-based arts centre combining exhibitions, events, and creative tenant support; overlaps with Wasps' Glasgow programming and exhibition space provision.
• Cove Park: Scottish creative residency organization offering funded residencies across disciplines; comparable to Wasps' Skye and Shetland residency offerings, though Cove Park focuses purely on residencies rather than year-round studios.

Others

• Creative Scotland: Scottish Government-funded development body for the arts, screen, and creative industries; functions as a key funding partner to Wasps and shapes the wider ecosystem in which it operates.

Emerging players

• Arvon Foundation: UK-wide creative writing and craft education charity with residential centres; comparable to Wasps' residency and educational programming focus, though Arvon targets writers rather than visual artists.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/waspsstudios
• Xx.com/waspsstudios
• Facebookfacebook.com/waspsstudios
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/waspsstudios

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Wasps