The history of non-formal adult education in Sweden stretches over more than a hundred years. The Study Association Bilda has been around since 1947 (though known as FS – Frikyrkliga Studieförbundet – during its first decades). Culture and music has always been prominent areas in Bilda.
Bilda emerged from popular movements and free churches. With many churches as members, Bilda has always dealt with existential matters. In different ways, this heritage plays a role in all we do. As a result of an ongoing culture debate since as early as the 1950’s, Bilda has achieved a wide and open perception of culture. Today this gives us opportunity to work with pop and rock music.
Bilda is open for everyone, regardless of religious or political convictions, regardless of sex, class, ethnicity or sexuality. We claim that no one grows without meeting others. In Bilda, we have learned that no one grows without meeting others. We grow when we meet you, you grow when you meet us.
These are noble words – but we mean what we say. A band cooperating with us can count on us doing all we can to contribute to its development.
The Swedish state and local municipalities give us and other non-formal educational associations funds for working. When it comes to music, this is how we interpret our mission: People need to make music and play it together, we shall make sure it’s possible for them to do it.
Within Bilda about 35-40 advisers around the country work with music and other cultural expressions. They have a key role in the non-formal adult education, and they often are the crucial link in contacts with the participants, our member organizations and other partners. The adviser makes things possible and supports development of the activities, and together, the music advisers in Bilda are an important force for culture and music.
Through the years, Bilda has gathered knowledge about how to make bands develop. We know how to pass this knowledge on.
We want to give all bands cooperating with us possibilities to reach as far as they can and want to, and guidance beyond the obstacles that may occur.
We provide the survival kit and the booster rocket. All bands cooperating with us should have a rehearsal room, studio time, an adviser who cares, a stage, a book to read - and a place on this site. That’s our menu, our idea.
We are already about nine hundred bands, rehearsing around the country. Isn’t that cool?
We are just around the corner – here at Bildamusik.nu or a telephone call away. Everyday. Now.
Let us give some examples of what Bilda’s advisers do for bands around Sweden:
A rehearsal room is a basic need for most bands. Bilda works in many ways to grant access to good rehearsal rooms for all bands cooperating with us.
Gigs are important for most bands. We can provide information about where to play, and we also arrange gigs for our bands in various venues - in your town or another – even in Belarus, Germany or Bethlehem.
We arrange courses, seminars, clinics and study circles on different subjects – singing, playing instruments, promotion, acting on stage and so on.
A rock school is an excellent way to start playing music if you never did it before. Learn the basics, try different instruments and start your first band!
Recording – Bilda says every band should have the possibility to record it’s music, in one of our studios or using a portable recording equipment.
Artistic help and consultative support. Our advisers are often musicians themselves, or in contact with persons in most musical genres. They’d be happy to come to your rehearsal room and help!
Literature. Our book ”Alla får spela” (”Everyone may play”) is full of useful ideas for bands wanting to develop.
Gear. We can help financing consumer goods such as drum sticks, plectra, strings and so on. We also know where to find the cheapest good instruments and amps.
Your own idea. Through decades new original ideas have emerged in the non-formal adult education. We don’t judge any idea as strange or mad, we’d rather see it as a starting point for an interesting talk. – that may end in a music festival, a record or a class in fire-eating. We are good at taking care of ideas, helping you make them reality.
This site. Bildamusik.nu gives you news about Bilda’s activities and deepened knowledge about the world of music. We make room for you and your band, and when you can’t meet Bilda eye to eye, you meet us here, as in an extra office. We even have an online adviser.