Test Track

Test Track is a new research and development project by artist and curator Robin Deacon that explores the activity of railway modelling not only as a hobby but also as an artform that can enable intergenerational exchange and understanding. The aim is to begin breaking down the barrier between an activity often caricatured as a pursuit solely for older men, and a perception of young people glued to their screens and detached from the physical world. Test Track seeks a point of intersection between these groups that emphasises material engagement and collective endeavour. This research and development process will involve an investigation of multiple skill sets (set building, scenic design, electronics, storytelling) and ascertain how some or all of these elements may be utilised as a mechanism for railway modellers to engage with the wider public in the co-creation of new participatory artworks with non-specialists, in particular, children.