Shirley Hall Stage Lighting Upgrade – The King’s School, Canterbury
The Brief
The King’s School approached A.C. Special Projects Ltd to upgrade the ageing stage lighting installation within Shirley Hall, a historic concert hall regularly used for performances, recitals, and filmed events.
The previous system used tungsten halogen PAR cans and flood lights on lighting bars, controlled by Betapack dimmers and an older Strand fader desk. Although functional, it no longer met requirements, especially with the growing need for accurate, consistent, and tuneable lighting for filmed concerts.
The brief was threefold:
Add colour and visual impact to enhance the atmosphere and create a memorable audience experience.
Enhance performance lighting quality by providing high CRI, tuneable white output for accurate rendering of musicians and choir members, both live and on camera.
Simplify control by replacing the legacy desk with an intuitive system that non-specialist staff can operate confidently.
Solution & Installation
A.C. Special Projects Ltd designed and installed a complete LED lighting system, using the existing lighting bar infrastructure where possible to minimise disruption and cost.
Key elements of the installation
Balcony Profile Spots:
Two PROLIGHTS EclProfile CT+ LED profiles with 15–30° zoom lenses were installed at the balcony edge, delivering precise, even key lighting to the front of the stage.
Downstage Fresnels:
Four PROLIGHTS EclFresnel CT+S 200W units were mounted on the existing downstage bars. These six-colour fixtures provide high CRI output and fully tuneable white, meeting the client’s requirements for filmed performance lighting.
Upstage Wash:
Six PROLIGHTS EclPendant SVW 50W variable white house lights replaced the existing tungsten floods in upstage positions, providing a clean, controllable wash to the upper stage area.
Architectural Feature Lighting:
Eight PROLIGHTS StudioCob RGBW fixtures (IP65, 110W) were installed to up-light the hall’s distinctive barrel-vaulted ceiling, delivering the dramatic colour and visual impact requested by the client.
The Control System
A new control enclosure at the balcony level houses a Pharos LPC1 single-universe playback controller and a Pharos TPS5 5-inch wall-mount touchscreen. This intuitive, scene-based interface requires no specialist knowledge of lighting to operate.
Wireless communication between the controller and stage fixtures is provided by five LumenRadio CRMX Luna DMX transceivers, removing the need for new cable runs across the hall. Signal distribution is managed by an Artistic Licence railSplit RDM DMX splitter, with the entire system networked through a PoE+ switch.
The legacy Betapack dimmers, Strand desk, and tungsten fittings were decommissioned and removed during the project.
Conclusion
The completed installation has transformed Shirley Hall into a versatile, high-quality performance venue. The tuneable white LED system provides accurate skin-tone rendering for filmed concerts, while the RGBW architectural up-lighting adds dramatic colour and atmosphere, as demonstrated during the first post-installation performance.
Staff have responded positively to the Pharos touchscreen interface, which enables straightforward scene recall without requiring specialist knowledge.
Client feedback has been highly positive, noting that the new lighting significantly enhances both the visual quality of performances and the overall audience experience.
Images credit: The King’s School, Canterbury
For more information about how A.C. Special Projects can assist you, please contact us using the details below.
Tel: +44 (0)1494 838392
