In support of The National Brain Appeal‘s Rare Space Garden at The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) Chelsea Flower Show 2023, we have partnered with The National Brain Appeal to launch an augmented reality garden (AR) experience that helps people with rare dementias.

‘The Rare Space Garden Experience’, which was developed by immersive reality agency Arcade using Meta Spark, uses technology that helps people living with cognitive conditions to create their own virtual garden using a smartphone or tablet. They can do this by selecting different horticultural and design choices inspired by the Rare Space Sanctuary Garden showcased at the 2023 Chelsea Flower Show, designed by Charlie Hawkes for The National Brain Appeal.

Jason, the son of a patient who has a rare form of dementia that can cause difficulties with seeing what and where things are, was invited to interact with the experience and learn more about the design and horticultural choices that were behind the Rare Space garden.

 “Arcade is all about connecting people to a place through play, so when Meta asked us to create a fun and educational world effect filter for this phenomenal cause – and equally fabulous garden – we couldn’t possibly refuse. Filters are so often focused on the front camera, augmenting users’ faces in brilliant and hilarious ways, but for us the rear camera and the way it fosters engagement with the world around us is such a powerful and still under-utilised approach. We’re so grateful to the brilliant teams at Meta and The National Brain Appeal for trusting us to bring the Rare Space Garden to Instagram audiences all around the world”

– Alex Book, Co-founder & Chief Strategy Officer of Arcade 

Whether you’re visiting this year’s flower show or sat in your living room, The Rare Space Garden Experience uses AR to allow green fingered scrollers to experience this exciting garden in a whole new way. It will be accessible on the National Brain Appeal’s Facebook Page and Instagram Profile under the effects tab, and directly here for everyone to use.

During the RHS Chelsea Flower Show, The National Brain Appeal’s Rare Space won a Gold Medal in the Sanctuary Garden category.