Membership

Photo: Mirja Vinberg-Mäkinen

The Finnish Dramatist's Union; The Board 2008

From the left:
Jorma Kairimo, member, Anna Simberg, member, Harri Virtanen, member, Satu Rasila, President, Okko Leo, member, Heini Junkkaala, member, Jukka Asikainen, Vice President, Raija Talvio, member

The members: Jari Juutinen ja Markku Hoikkala are not present at the picture.

Advantages through membership in the Finnish Dramatists' Union are:

Negotiated contracts and fee recommendations (theatre, film, TV and radio)
Members can have plays sent to domestic and foreign theatres
Royalties and other economic interests are guarded
Help to obtain adaptation rights domestic and foreign works
Legal services
Copyright protection insurance
Up to date information on stipends, grants and tax laws
Events and seminars
Dramatists advocate and lobbyist regarding cultural policy
Writer's retreat stipends (Villa Kiva)
Recording royalties (Kopiosto)
Discounts through membership card (on theatre tickets etc.)
Information updates and a member's forum via the Internet

Applying for membership

Membership in the Finnish Dramatists' Union can be granted to authors of:
a. one long or two short plays produced professionally by a theatre
b. professional productions of one long or two short radio plays
c. one long or two short dramatic programs produced in national television or three episodes in a mini series or five episodes in a longer running television series
d. one long or two short manuscripts for publically screened and professionally produced motion picture fiction
e. one dramatic manuscript of sufficient length, realized in public performance by professional artists in other artistic mediums, for example multi-media, opera, or Internet based art forms.
Trial membership can be awarded to university level students of playwriting, or on the basis of examples of work submitted, even to writers at secondary school. Trial membership can be held for a maximum period of five years.
It is also possible to accept writers, dramaturges, translators and composers as "user members".
Trail members and user members do not have the right to vote at the annual congress.
Honorary members of The Fnnish Dramatists' Union are Bo Carpelan, Paavo Haavikko, Anu Kaipainen, Inkeri Kilpinen, Outi Nyytäyä and Aimo Vourinen. The Union's annual congress elects honorary members after nomination by the board of Directors.

Membership fees

Ordinary members pay a fee of 60 Euro per year. Trial members pay 10 Euro annually.