Robe Goes Green at Dutch Culture Hub

	The Green Angel technical production team: Maren Kabbedijk, Kristian Vloet, Frank Schel (left to right) with Controllux's Romec Berendsen on the far right. Photo: Louise Stickland

Groene Engel -- Green Angel in Dutch -- is a lively cultural hub in the city of Oss, the Netherlands, which presents music concerts, films, theatre productions, comedy, dance events, educational debates, pop quizzes, and a plethora of visual arts events.

The 600-capacity main hall's lighting rig was recently upgraded with three types of Robe moving lights -- 12 PAINTES, 12 LEDBeam 150s, and eight LEDBeam 350s.

Involved in the choice were Kristian Vloet, a freelance lighting designer who regularly works at Groene Engel and also for rental company Stagelight; the venue's production manager, Maren Kabbedijk, who has been overseeing all the technical elements for the last three years; and technician Frank Schel, who has worked at Groene Engel full-time for five years and also lights many shows.

The lighting in the building was initially installed when Groene Engel opened as a venue in 1999. It primarily comprised PAR cans and was long overdue for an upgrade. There was no discussion about whether the new gear should be LED; in the Netherlands, most performance spaces are currently transitioning.

Vloet suggested investing in basic spot, wash, beam, and blinder functionality to cover all essential lighting bases; already familiar with Robe products, he wanted to look at other options to ensure the venue got exactly the right kit for their needs. "Once all the evaluations were complete, we decided Robe was the best choice with a combination of these three fixture types to cover all those main requirements," he confirms.

He adds, "The fixtures are high-quality, extremely well made, and everyone likes them."

All three appreciate that Robe products are made in Europe. They enjoy a productive working relationship with Benelux distributor Controllux and account manager Romec Berendsen.

Groene Engel's season runs from September to June, during which time there will be at least 70 live music shows at a rate of two or three a week.

The first show to use the new Robe products was a Joy Division tribute act, Closer to Curtis, lit by Schel, who had also run lighting for the band with the old setup. Of course, the company says, there is no comparison.