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Nicoline Refsing is the creative powerhouse behind the scenes of the entertainment industry. Today, Rockart Design is without a doubt a global leader in its field, thanks to a unique blend of creativity, technical skill, experience, meticulous attention to detail and care.

“My main focus is to work with the artist to understand the story they want to tell, and then look at how each element of the performance interacts to amplify that mesage. I look at how we can use technology creatively to make the most memorable show. We are always very conscious that we don’t repeat last year’s trends, to ensure we create something unique and authentic in this space and time that will excite the audience”

“The production team here has been working overtime and the whole crew has been terrific. Everything out here comes down to communication, preparation and working together, and to pull this off yet again in these circumstances is a great achievement.”

“I think a good show has to be visually appealing. It’s got to be authentic, it’s got to be relevant, and most importantly, it’s got to be something that touches people.”

“Our passion for creating outstanding performances means we enjoy every project we work on and have been able to deliver on each new challenge that has come our way.”

“I started with the essence of The Duke of Edinburgh Award’s brand to come up with the event design, so that all the elements integrate to give an exciting 360° total theatre experience.”

“The secret to good set design is knowing enough of the work flow for all different departments involved, so that you can make it easy for everyone.”

In 1998, Refsing saw The Rolling Stones’ Bridges To Babylon Tour. “I just thought I’d gone to heaven,” she states. “It completely blew my mind, and that was where I decided that this is what I’m going to do for the rest of my life.”

Recently Rockart provided a full range service including creative direction, screen content, production and lighting design for the Duke of Edinburgh’s Awards 60th Anniversary event.

“People always ask me, if I run out of ideas, the truth is, I don’t. Every artist I work with is unique and I look at them to see what is that special story they have got to tell. It has got to be authentic and at the same time meet the ever increasing audience demand for spectacular.”

The Danish creative explains her approach: “I think the essence of my work is to amplify what is already there. I always ask: ‘What is the heart and soul of the artist? What are they trying to communicate?'”

From Eurovision to the BRIT Awards and the Beijing Olympics, Rockart Design founder Nicoline Refsing specialises in taking large-scale events and making them unique.

Nicoline Refsing is founder of production design and staging company Rockart Design. She has staged shows for One Direction, The National Television Awards, The BRITs, The Eurovision Song Contest and The X Factor and has designed performances on award shows for artists from Amy Winehouse to Rihanna, Coldplay, Mark Ronson, Little Mix & Take That. She explains how to make a great show look even greater.

The event was produced by Jeremy Hartley of Entertainment Industries, with production design by acclaimed creative Nicoline L. Refsing of Rockart Design, who has previously delivered iconic stage designs for major events such as The BRIT Awards, League of Legends Worlds 2015 and creative direction for Eurovision.

Refsing created a unique look and experience beyond other event designs to distinctively brand the event, delivering a transformation that also retains some of the unique venue characteristics. By cleverly working with the venue’s architecture and weight limitations of the roof, Refsing created and supplied the integrated window and screen content, the gold and diamond colour palette and a unique, centralised gold drape design radiating from a central stage that would allow an inclusive, 360 degree vantage point for the audience.

Nicoline Refsing’s work will have been seen by almost every Eurovision Song Contest fan, but only the very sharp eyed will have spotted her name in the credits. As the creative force behind Rockart Design she has contributed to the staging of a number of recent entries in the Song Contest, and was the Creative Director and Content Producer for Copenhagen 2014.

Ewan caught up with her in Stockholm, ahead of this year’s Contest, to talk design, staging, vision, props, and big clumpy boots on tiny singers.

Television is throwaway, but the demands we have of it are considerable. The people meeting those demands with towering achievements like those Nicoline was responsible for in 2014 are often overlooked by those of us staring at the TV screen. It’s time for those people to step into the limelight.

Dansker bag Australiens vinder-kandidat.

Det kan godt være, at der ikke er nogle danskere med på scenen, når der i aften sendes Eurovision Song Contest direkte fra Globen i Stockholm.

Men bag scenen har danske Nicoline Refsing ret stor del i det australske bidrag, der er blandt de absolutte favoritter til at vinde sangkonkurrencen.

A curare la performance della Michielin è la danese Nicoline Refsing. La creative director che ha lavorato in passato con Conchita Wurst, The Common Linnets e Aminata, ha lavorato a stretto contatto con la giovane cantante veneta per creare qualcosa di unico.

“Lavorare con Francesca e la delegazione italiana è stato un gran piacere, un vero e proprio sogno per una creative director. Solitamente quando lavoro con degli artisti, ascolto la loro musica anche 300 volte per carpire la loro essenza. Vado alla ricerca di qualcosa che abbia cuore e anima, una storia da raccontare al pubblico. Solo dopo posso iniziare a visualizzarlo nella mia mente.”

Pure la Michielin per il suo set è ricorsa ad una specialista, Nicoline L. Refsing che ha lavorato per anni come creative director assieme all’ “architetto del rock” Mark Fisher, facendosi le ossa con Stones e U2 prima di mettersi in proprio.

“Quello che conta in un lavoro come il mio è la visione” spiega la Refsing, che qui a Stoccolma cura pure l’esibizione dell’Australia, ospite speciale dell’Eurovision Song Contest per il secondo anno consecutivo.

In the final episode of this year’s ESC Daily Show we caught up with Nicoline Refsing, who is the stage director of the Australian act. Even on this day of the jury final, she was still finetuning the stage performance by Dami Im: “It is all about the details.”

“You have to have the overall picture and the storytelling. But at the moment when you really connect with the audience is so precious,” Refsing explains. “You have to look at the camera at the right time. The details are so important when it comes to the finishing touch of staging.”

In pulling double duty as Creative Director for both Italy and Australia, Nicoline Refsing experienced two very different versions of the creative process. She explained: ‘The Italian delegation gave me the keys and this led to me listening to the song about 300 times to come up with the idea! I wanted to use the tree of life as a base, adding the flowers and other props made for us by Blackfriars Scenery in London, to represent all the parts that make up your life. (The artist) Francesca (Michielin) is very poetic, playful and quirky and I wanted to bring that out.’

The Italian Eurovision source Eurofestival News has revealed today that the Danish production designer Nicoline Lindeborg Refsing is working on the performance of No Degree of Separation with the Italian team.

She is a London-based production designer and creative director, head of Rockart Design Ltd. who worked in recent years with Pink, Take That, Westlife, Leona Lewis among others and — prick up your ears — they also created the wondrous scenario for the Eurovision performances by Conchita Wurst and The Common Linnets in 2014 and Aminata in 2015. We just can’t wait to see what they will pull out of the hat!

Qualche settimana fa, inoltre, vi avevamo anticipato che una creative director di fama internazionale avrebbe lavorato sull’esibizione. Oggi possiamo svelarvi di chi si tratta: la danese Nicoline Lindeborg Refsing della Rockart Design, specializzata in produzioni artistiche e direzione creativa.

Every Wednesday JHPR spotlight a woman doing amazing things within her business field. As champions of startups and small business owners we will be selecting a wonder woman to profile each week. For our first wonder woman of the year we would like to introduce Nicoline Refsing, founder of production design company Rockart Design and jewellery brand Rockart Jewellery.

“Det kan godt være, at Anti Social Media ikke længere er med i årets Internationale Melodi Grand Prix, men der er faktisk stadig et dansk bidrag med i finalen lørdag aften i Wien. For når den lettiske skønhed Aminata går på scenen og krænger sit hjerte ud i »Love Injected« er det danske Nicoline Refsing, som har stået bag udtrykket på scenen.”

“I love the music side, and what comes with that is the whole process of loading something in in a very short space of time, and loading it all out again. I love that challenge – producing all of the parts, working out what’s possible.”

Lee Baldock talks to production designer, creative director and principal of Rockart Design, Nicoline Refsing…

For those who, like me, were unaware, Nicoline Refsing is an acolyte of the Stufish school of creation: “I first worked for Mark [Fisher] ten years ago, stayed for six years and then set up my own company, Rockart Design. From my background in production design I was seeing more and more creative direction in video content. I am fascinated by how to work content and stage/set together; where does one start and the other end?”

“Det visuelle sceneshow var skabt i samarbejde med de kunstnere, som stod på scenen, og deres delegationer, fortæller Nicoline Refsing, der havde ansvar for den del af produktionen.”

“This is the first project where creative director/content producer Nicoline Refsing and I have worked together.” Not that Zachariassen appeared unduly worried: “I’ve heard many great things about her. She is based in London and has been working with a lot of really creative people in London for many years, doing a lot of high-end shows. I like that she has this combination of being very creative and very disciplined; she is very well organized. And at the same time, she is able to think outside the box; that is a really good combination.”

“Det har vaeret utrolig spaendende, et kreativt marathon hvor vi har faaet lov til at som Alice I Eventyrland at svaeve igennem alle de her universe.”

“Fra starten var ambitionen for Nicoline og hendes team, at de ville arbejde tæt sammen med kunstneren fra hvert enkelt land, så billedsiden bedst muligt forstærkede hver sangs udtryk”

“Nogle gange er det lidt skræmmende, hvor tæt, det jeg sad og tegnede, er på det virkelige resultat.”