"The isolated concept of art education must be done away with, and the artistic element must be embodied in every subject, whether it is our mother tongue, geography, mathematics or gymnastics." Joseph Beuys

This resource is intended for use by teachers, student teachers and pupils of art and design at secondary school and in further and higher education. However, DARE does not take a narrow subject specific view of art and could therefore be used by any other subject discipline or in cross-curricular, multidisciplinary activities.

The resource takes a questioning and often playful approach to its subject - contemporary visual arts - encouraging the user to play with ideas, and to question assumptions.

There is no fixed canon. The artists featured are by no means a comprehensive selection. They exemplify the diverse range of media, approaches and cultures working in the contemporary art world but there are thousands of others whose work and ideas could be examined. The additional resources may help you research these.

The project ideas should be considered as possible starting points or creative triggers. You will all have your own ideas or suggestions about how to work with these concepts. We would like to hear about them.

There are two discussion spaces. One is for practical issues so that teachers and educators can share ideas, methodology, insights, practical tips, technical assistance etc. The other is a space for all users - educators, artists, young people - to engage in critical discussion about some of the issues raised by the artists and themes featured in DARE. For a more detailed description of each space, as well as guidance on how to use them, log on to the discussion groups (available from late March 2000).

The site aims to provide access to resources which are otherwise difficult to find and to artists who are under-represented elsewhere. As its name suggests, DARE encourages a broader, more risk-taking approach to art education, where the processes of play, critical enquiry, reflection and evaluation are all integral.

Through its structure DARE emphasises the links between research, production, teaching and learning. How you use the resource in and beyond the classroom is up to you. But please let us know so your ideas can inform other users. DAER is a networking space as well as a site of learning.

Digital media mutates. DARE is still in development and will change and grow over the coming months, partly in response to your feedback and suggestions. So feel free to react!