Jaka Šimenc is one of Slovenia's leading lighting designers, known for his long-standing contributions to contemporary dance and theatre. Since 2003, he has worked as an independent artist, collaborating with numerous choreographers, directors, visual artists and performing arts organisations. A long-time collaborator of Iztok Kovač and En–Knap, he served as technical director of En–Knap and the Španski Borci Cultural Centre. Alongside his work as a lighting designer and scenographer, Šimenc develops his own artistic projects, exploring the expressive potential of light, sound and space. He is a co-founder of sonoric theatre and has created a number of works that investigate theatre beyond the presence of performers. He is also actively engaged in the education and training of theatre technicians and designers.
In the original and unique Slovenian performance Rainbow, the main characters are moving-head lights that use light as their primary means of expression. They communicate their emotions and ideas through colour, movement and, occasionally, sound—not words, but a variety of tones and noises with different rhythms, colours and moods. Sound animates the environments in which these little robots find themselves as they discover the power of colours and shapes, and sometimes even find answers to surprisingly complex questions.
Rainbow introduces children to the basic concepts of light, colour and form. Its educational approach to themes such as light, colour and colour mixing makes it particularly suitable for kindergarten and primary school curricula. Combining innovation and learning, the performance offers an original perspective on the role of light in theatre, everyday life and fairy tales. The performance is followed by a conversation with the creators, who introduce children to the process behind the making of the performance.