The Netherlands - A new installation of Robe T11 Profiles in the 200-capacity Small Hall at the Theater de Bussel in Oosterhout, southern Netherlands is helping to save electricity and enhance the scope of lighting shows and events there, explained the venue’s head of technical, Evelyn van ‘t Hof.
The 32 x T11s are the first Robes in the house, and they are replacing a larger number of ‘conventional’ profiles and PC luminaires.
The new fixtures are part of a general drive to reduce energy consumption, an initiative shaping new investments in all venues across the Netherlands.
Adaptability was also a key consideration here, as the programme encompasses theatre productions, musicals, symposiums, parties and assorted other performance genres.
Evelyn has been working at this busy producing and receiving house since 2008. The 450-capacity (700-standing) Main Hall was built and opened in 1984, then a major expansion in 2015 saw the edition of the Small Hall, and brand-new foyer space and a library.
Evelyn has always liked Robe products and been impressed with their quality and reliability – in particular T1 Profiles and 600E Spots – in the Main Hall for specific productions. Previously she worked in the Bibelot Poppodium at the Energiehuis in Dordrecht, which is where she first encountered Robe and got to know the brand.
Features impressing them included the colour engine together with the focus, the smooth dimmer curve – especially critical between 0 and 20% – and the logical user interface.
For most of their own produced shows, the lighting design will be created in-house by Evelyn or her team, so they also looked at this investment from an imaginative perspective as well as to facilitate visiting company requirements. Typically, the Small Hall will stage a show or event five times a week, hosting local talent alongside professional shows, so there is a good mix of performances needing to be lit.
The T11s are installed on the overhead bridges with some currently loose for deployment around the stage floor. They are controlled through an OnPC console together with the rest of the stage lighting.
“The products are all great in quality and Robe is innovative,” Evelyn comments. “We’re very happy with the fixtures and so are the many others now using them.”
They estimate the 32 x T11s are helping save around 50% of the electricity that was consumed by the lights they have replaced.
