Lighting
Stage, performance and venue lighting designed and installed across London and the South East
We design, install and commission professional lighting systems for theatres, halls, bars, nightclubs, restaurants, churches, schools and other venues.
Our work includes stage lighting, house lighting, moving heads, washes and profiles, truss and rigging, dimming, power distribution and DMX lighting control.
Lighting is often installed alongside sound and AV, so we can design the systems together rather than treating them as separate parts of the room.
Venue lighting across London and the South East
We are based in East Sussex and work across London, East Sussex, Kent, Surrey and the wider South East. We also travel further for larger projects.
Our work is focused on entertainment, performance and hospitality lighting rather than general commercial lighting. We regularly work in theatres and halls, bars and nightclubs, restaurants and hospitality venues, schools, churches and public buildings.
For general LED lighting upgrades, office lighting, external lighting and wider electrical work, we work alongside our sister company Lake Electrical.
Lighting designed around the venue
The right lighting system depends on what happens in the room.
A theatre may need flexible stage lighting for visiting productions. A school hall needs controls that staff can use without a technician. A nightclub needs sound and lighting to work together, while a restaurant may need different scenes as the venue changes through the evening.
We look at the room, existing equipment, structure, power and the people who will use the system before specifying the lighting.
For refurbishments and new venues, we can also work from architects’ and designers’ drawings so fixture positions, circuits, control and containment are agreed before first fix.
What our venue lighting installations include
We install lighting for theatres, stages, halls, drama spaces and live performance venues.
Systems can include LED washes, profiles, fresnels, moving heads, effects lighting and house lighting.
We specify the fixtures around the size of the room, stage layout, required coverage and the different productions or events the venue needs to support.
We install and programme DMX lighting control for new and existing rigs.
The control system is chosen around the people who will use it. That can mean a full lighting desk for technicians alongside simpler controls or preset scenes for venue staff.
Where appropriate, we can also use RDM and network-based lighting control to make larger installations easier to configure and maintain.
Lighting equipment often needs to be suspended above a stage or audience.
We install truss, supporting equipment and secondary suspension as part of the lighting system, taking account of the equipment being carried and the structure it is being fixed to.
Where a venue already has a rig, we can survey what is there before specifying new fixtures or alterations.
Lighting needs the correct electrical supply and control behind it.
Our installations can include dimming, relay control, distribution and the electrical work directly associated with the lighting system.
Where a project requires larger board changes, new supplies or wider electrical work, Lake Electrical can manage that part of the project alongside us.
Lighting for bars, clubs and restaurants
We design venue lighting for bars, nightclubs, restaurants and hospitality businesses where the lighting forms part of the customer experience.
That can include moving lights and effects for late-night venues, as well as programmed scenes for restaurants and bars that need different lighting during the day and evening.
Where OBAV is also installing the sound system, we plan the loudspeakers, lighting fixtures, control and cabling together.
This is particularly useful where several systems need to share the same ceiling, truss or equipment positions.
Lighting for halls, theatres and schools
Halls and theatres often need to work for more than one type of event.
We design systems that can support performances, presentations, visiting productions and everyday use without making the controls unnecessarily complicated.
For schools, this can include hall lighting, drama and performance lighting and controls that teaching or site staff can use alongside more advanced access for productions.
Lighting in churches and places of worship
We also install lighting in churches where it forms part of the sound, AV or performance requirements.
This may include lighting for the nave, chancel, stage or performance areas and programmed settings for services, concerts and other events.
For listed or historic churches, equipment positions, cable routes and fixings need to be considered carefully alongside the existing building.
For complete architectural relighting or wider LED energy-saving projects, we would normally work alongside Lake Electrical.
Technical requirements we check
Venue lighting has to work as a complete system, not just as a collection of fixtures. We check that LED fittings, drivers and dimming controls are compatible, specify DMX control to suit the existing or new rig, and make sure the power and distribution are appropriate for the installation. We also separate specialist stage and performance lighting from general building and emergency lighting, which have different requirements. Where wider electrical work is needed, we can coordinate this with Lake Electrical as part of the same project.
Sound, AV and lighting planned together
Venue lighting is often part of a wider system. A stage may need lighting, loudspeakers, microphones, projection and control all working from the same area of the building.
Where we are providing several of these services, we can plan the cable routes, equipment positions, networking and control together before installation begins.
This gives the client one coordinated AV and lighting design rather than several individual systems that have been specified separately.
Commissioning and handover
Installation is only part of the job.
We address and configure the fixtures, programme the control system and set up the lighting around the way the venue will use it.
We also provide training so the people running the building know how to use the everyday settings, with more detailed information available for technicians where required.
The aim is to leave you with a system your own team can operate after we have left.
Lighting projects
Experienced venue lighting installers
We design, install and commission venue lighting systems for theatres, halls, bars, nightclubs, restaurants, schools, churches and other performance spaces.
Our team works on both new installations and upgrades to existing rigs, including stage lighting, moving heads, washes, profiles, DMX control, dimming, truss and distribution. We can work from drawings and specifications or survey an existing venue before recommending what needs to change.
We are also used to working as part of larger projects with architects, consultants and main contractors. Where sound, AV or electrical work is involved too, we can coordinate the lighting with the wider installation rather than treating it as a separate job.
OBAV is SafeContractor approved and ISO [[NUMBER: exact ISO standard to confirm]] accredited, and our own engineers carry out the installation and commissioning.
Accreditations and the company behind us
OBAV is SafeContractor approved and certified to ISO [[NUMBER: exact ISO standard to confirm]]. Copies of both certificates go out on request.
[[NUMBER: SafeContractor registration number, the ISO standard, certificate number and certifying body]]
We trade as OBAV, and the company behind the business is Old Barn Audio Ltd, company number 06040735.
The engineers who rig and focus the room are on our own payroll, and most have been here a long time. In a venue that counts on the afternoon a fixture needs refocusing before a show and you would rather speak to whoever put it up there.
What venue clients say
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Venue Lighting FAQs
Do you survey before quoting?
Yes.
For an existing venue, we visit the site to look at the room, existing lighting, power, rigging, dimming and control before we quote.
For refurbishments and new projects, we can also work from drawings and specifications at design stage.
Can you work to an existing lighting specification?
Yes.
We regularly work from specifications provided by consultants, architects and main contractors.
If equipment has been discontinued, a specification needs updating or we identify something that will not work as intended, we raise it before the project starts.
How much does a lighting installation cost?
It depends on the size of the venue, the lighting rig, control system, power requirements and how much of the existing installation can be retained.
We survey the venue before providing a full quotation so the scope and cost are clear before work begins.
Is stage and performance lighting exempt from Part L?
Specialist performance lighting such as theatrical spotlights and stage lighting is treated differently from general building lighting under Part L.
Other areas of the building, such as foyers, bars, offices and back-of-house areas, still need to meet the relevant requirements.
Where wider commercial lighting is involved, we can work alongside our sister company Lake Electrical.
Can house lighting be used as emergency lighting?
No.
Emergency lighting is a separate system designed to operate if the normal power supply fails. A stage or house lighting rig should not be treated as a replacement for it.
OBAV does not specialise in emergency lighting, but Lake Electrical can help where this is needed as part of a wider project.
What should venues consider when using strobes?
Strobe lighting needs to be used carefully and in line with the venue’s risk assessment, premises licence and any requirements set by the local authority.
We consider positioning, control and how the effects will be used as part of the lighting design.
Do you install DMX lighting control?
Yes.
We install and programme DMX lighting systems for new and existing venues.
We generally use five-pin DMX on new installations and can also work with existing three-pin systems where these are already in place.
Will the new LED fittings flicker?
It should not when the fittings, drivers and dimming system are correctly matched.
We specify the lighting and control together and check manufacturer compatibility before installation, particularly where smooth dimming or filming in the venue is important.
Do you carry out the electrical work as well?
We carry out the electrical work directly associated with the lighting installation, including the circuits, containment and distribution required for the system.
Where larger board changes, new supplies or wider electrical work are needed, our sister company Lake Electrical can manage that part of the project.
If another electrical contractor is already appointed, we can provide the information they need and work to the wider project programme.
Request a quote for your lighting
If you are planning a new lighting system or upgrading an existing rig, get in touch and tell us about the venue and what you need the lighting to do.
You can also send drawings, a specification or photographs of the existing installation and we can arrange the next step.
Old Barn Audio Ltd
Unit 15 Wylands Farm
Powdermill Lane
Battle
East Sussex TN33 0SU
01892 752246
enquiries@oldbarnaudio.co.uk
We work across London, East Sussex, Kent, Surrey and the wider South East, and travel further for larger projects.