Riksspelmansskap or The Zorn badge

The Zorn badge is an appreciated badge issued to merited musicians.

Location: Nation wide

Närbild person som spelar fiol.

Swedish Folklore Association (Svenska Folkdansringen), was founded 1920 and has more than 350 groups all over Sweden. Members of all ages pursue activities covering our original folk culture, mainlyfocused on dance, music, traditional costumes and handicraft.

The association emphasize the combination between dance and music. Musicians active within our organization participate in courses, seminaries, fiddler meetings and performances. Many of the groups also have their own groups of musicians.

Swedish Folklore Association is responsible for the Zorn badge, an appreciated badge issued to merited musicians. Through yearly auditions the musicians are stimulated to preserve a folkloric tradition. The musician that has earned the Zorn badge in silver has also the right to call her-/himself "riksspelman" (musician of the country).

During the 1990's the interest for folk music increased considerably, not least among the youth. This trend has continued thanks to numerous courses, often under the production by Swedish Folklore Association. Here the interested persons can learn how to build their own instrument, to play it, take care of if and enter deeply in the history of the instrument and the music.

In many groups and districts there are sections working both with old habits as well as practice of today. Research, chronicles and education has resulted in an extensive material for education and several books.

Exchanges and travels are popular activities. Every year there are tours to folk dance and folk music festivals both within Sweden and abroad. Destinations vary but through good international contacts there are travels and exchanges all over the world. These festivals, meetings and even conferences render rich opportunities to meet with other people, take part in their culture and share experience. This creates a basis for understanding over borders.

Swedish Folklore Association is a member of various international organizations, as the NORDLEKRÅDET – the Nordic folk dance and folk music cooperation committee. Outside the Nordic countries the cooperation is carried out within the Swedish Section of CIOFF (International Council of Organizations of Folklore Festivals and Folk Arts) that is an international organization for festivals and folklore. Through these two organizations, they also cooperate with Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.