Calling was a residency programme for three digital artists of African heritage, run jointly by Watershed and Kuumba. The artists selected are local to the South West region.

Each residency award was for £3000, plus up to £1000 for materials and equipment.

Calling started in May 2004, and ran for one year, ending in May 2005.

Artists submitting proposals did not need to define themselves as ‘digital artists’. However they all had an already established practice in the visual and/or media arts, and they all undertook to explore the application of digital media to their practice.

Calling had wide development objectives, with the residencies at its core. During the year Watershed and Kuumba created an explanatory context for the work by running additional supporting activities before and during the residency period. These included training sessions, access to equipment, creative activities and the publication of online essays to situate the work within contemporary digital arts practice.

Details of these activities are all available in the Participation section, which will also host details of five smaller commissions awarded. Diaries, reflections on process and technology by the three main Calling artists, are available now in the Residencies section.

The project evaluation report by Dr. Roz Hall, and an account of the Calling conference, "Responding", will be published here in due course.