Theater de Kampanje replaces its tungsten lighting fixtures with Robe LED technology

Theater de Kampanje, located in Den Helder, a city in the northern Netherlands, is a vibrant cultural venue offering a diverse and engaging programme of plays, musicals, comedy, concerts and touring shows across its three performance spaces.

It also hosts business and corporate events, with an annual programme of approximately 500 shows and events.

Originally located in the city centre, Theater de Kampanje has been based since 2015 at the former Willemsoord naval shipyard, an iconic waterfront location. The theatre occupies a vast former naval hangar that has been completely repurposed to host contemporary performances, retaining original architectural features and a distinctive industrial character.

As part of its commitment to transitioning towards more sustainable LED lighting, the venue has invested in Robe LED products, starting with the purchase of 12 TX1 PosiProfile moving heads and 12 LEDBeam 350 LED wash/beam moving lights, supplied by Controllux, the brand's Benelux distributor.

Jeffrey Filmer, the theatre's Head of Lighting, has worked at the venue for nine years and explains that the gradual transition process essentially began in 2015, coinciding with the move to the new premises.

Previously, in 2007, the company had purchased a range of mobile lighting equipment, including Robe 300E Spots and 300E Washes, which were used according to the requirements of each production, rigged and operated in the theatre's different spaces as needed.

At that time, some theatre lighting professionals still had reservations about the impact and suitability of LED technology in these environments. However, over the following fifteen years, LED technology underwent extraordinary advances.

Therefore, in 2024, "we felt the time was right and wanted to start with a set of general-purpose LED fixtures for overhead stage lighting", explained André Woestenburg, Head of Technical and Stage Manager at Theater de Kampanje.

The first decision was to replace the old mobile fixtures. The 300E Spots and Washes were still working perfectly, but Jeffrey and his colleagues evaluated several alternatives before replacing them with 12 TX1 PosiProfiles and 12 LEDBeam 350s, an upgrade that immediately provided greater flexibility and improved workflow efficiency. These first TX1 and LEDBeam 350 units proved to be robust and reliable fixtures. Therefore, when Theater de Kampanje received funding in 2025 to replace the tungsten fixtures installed on the technical bridges of the Koninklijke Marine Stadshal and Rabo Zaal event spaces with LED technology, the team once again explored different options and, once again, chose Robe. The new investment added 22 TX1 units and 24 LEDBeam 350s to the theatre's inventory. The 22 TX1 units replaced the fixtures installed on the technical bridges.

The front bridge can be moved along the main space, while seven cranes positioned throughout the building help position technical elements. These facilities are complemented by motorised bars above the stage in the main event space and theatre. Meanwhile, twelve of the new LEDBeam 350s were installed in the overhead grid of the Small Hall, a fully flexible space with a capacity of 125 spectators.

Jeffrey, André and their team, which also includes lighting technician Mark Goedhart, highlight that the addition of these Robe fixtures is having a very positive impact on the lighting possibilities available for productions.

One of the features that most appealed to the team was Robe's TRANSFERABLE ENGINE LED engine, incorporated into the TX1 fixtures, as it potentially extends the lifespan of the luminaires and enhances their adaptability through the ability to swap LED engines.

The TX1's compact design and precise calibration, allowing it to be installed in very confined spaces either as a moving head profile or as a static repositionable profile fixture, impressed the entire team.

Jeffrey notes that they were also reassured by Robe's strong reputation for manufacturing stable, reliable and well-engineered products. Another significant advantage is that the new fixtures can be focused and adjusted directly from the floor, eliminating the need for scissor lifts and the manoeuvring required to position them correctly. In addition, the Theater de Kampanje technical team already enjoyed an excellent relationship with Controllux. The combination of Robe's manufacturing quality and its distributor's expertise gave them complete confidence in the level of service, technical assistance and after-sales support.

We made our decision based on functionality, price, flexibility and suitability for our shows, as well as the high standards of local support we knew we could expect, Jeffrey emphasised in conclusion.

Some of the touring shows, companies and artists visiting Theater de Kampanje arrive with their own lighting designers, while others rely on the creativity and vision of Jeffrey and the theatre's in-house technical team to add those special touches of lighting magic.