UK’s first ground-breaking immersive experience to open at Drusillas zoo

A zoo in East Sussex is opening a new ground-breaking £500,000 attraction this weekend.

Drusillas Park near Alfriston is opening its new immersive experience, SPARK, on Saturday, November 20.

SPARK is the UK’s first and only fully-interactive play experience of its size, according to Drusillas.

A Drusillas spokesperson said, “Extensive 360° projection software transforms an ordinary space into an extraordinary world, offering a highly unique, sensory experience.

“See little eyes marvel in wonder as they discover a magical world where reality and technology collide, in an explosion of colour and light.

“Walls, floors and little minds come alive as you manipulate imagery and interact with wild animals on an augmented reality journey that truly illuminates the senses.

“Explore the vibrant jungle walls, touch and play with the wondrous watery floors, slide into a magical seabed, visit the plains of Africa and get lost in the enchanted forest.”

Drusillas’ deputy managing director Ollie Smith said, “This is one of the most exciting projects we’ve ever embarked on, and we’ve not seen anything quite like it before ourselves

“SPARK has been over 18 months in the making, and the finished result is truly extraordinary - we couldn’t be happier seeing our vision come to life.

“We worked extremely closely with the developers, Interactive 365, to create bespoke play experiences that no attraction has ever had, and an extensive offering of nine individual interactives – there’s barely an inch of the space that can’t be manipulated by visitors which makes it so incredibly immersive.”

SPARK’s nine interactive games have been designed to flow from one to another.

Those taking part can dive into the coral reef, leap across lily pads and splash among crocodiles on the interactive floor.

The spokesperson said, “Grab yourself a giant pencil and watch the walls animate as you colour in the beautiful animals of the enchanted forest, or design your own animals and release them into the digital wild.

“Don’t forget to take a wild ride before you leave and commemorate your adventure with an awesome augmented reality photo and video atop a rhino, ostrich or zebra.”

The spokesperson said Drusillas has invested £500,000 in the attraction and a number of social media influencers, including Binky Felstead and her family, attended a pre-launch event last weekend.

From Saturday, visitors can book a SPARK experience on weekends and East Sussex school holidays for an additional charge at the door.

Admission is £1 for members and £2 for non-members for a one-hour session.

Tickets can also be bought at the SPARK entrance.