Events, Projects, News Ongoing projects Project archive World Theatre Day Awards Nordic Drama Award Thalia Gala Illusionist prize News	Awards Nordic Drama Award Heidi Junkkaala Won the Nordic Dramaprize 2010 Heidi Junkkaala won the Nordic Drama Price with her play Ten sticks on a board.  She was awarded on 7th of May at the Nordic Theatre Days in Lund in Sweden. Ten sticks on a board was premiered in 2008 at the children and youth theater Ahaa-teatteri in Tampere. With the greatest tenderness and lucidity Ten sticks on a board tell the story of little Anna, grandmother's favorite girl, who dares to step out into the world of magic and drama. During the family's vacation with Grandma in the country Anna succeeds with the help of the game to ward off her parents' divorce. Mr Brackets helps Anna to understand that if one wants to come to a happy ending, one cannot skip the difficult moments, but must see the conflict in the face. She has everything to lose, but wins after bravely venturing to play the role of the "protagonist" in the story - and in her own life. The theme of Heini Junkkaala piece is firmly rooted in today's world, but the story slips pleasantly off into the world of  game and magic. With a warm humor and recognizable characters, it skillfully builds up the structure so the resourceful language gives the play wings. Heini Junkkaala (f.1975) is a playwright and dramaturge and lives in Helsinki. She completed master's in theater arts from the Theater Academy in spring 2006 and has studied the indigenous literature at the University of Helsinki. Junkkaala is primarily a playwright who works also as dramaturge and teaches dramaturgy and  playwriting. Since 2006, Junkkaala has written eight plays for Finnish theaters. Her latest work "Bride of Christ " was  premiered at the Finnish National Theater in March 2010. In 1992 The Nordic Theatre Union gave out for the first time the Nordic Drama Award. The intention of the award is to advance dramatic literature in the Nordic countries. Each Nordic country nominates every second year a candidate  for the award. The board of the Nordic Theatre Union serves as a jury for the competition. Winners of the award: 1992 Hrafnhildur Hagalin, Iceland: Jag är mestaren 1994 Svend Holm, Denmark: Schumans natt 1996 Paavo Haavikko, Finland: Anastasia ja minä 1998 Lars Norén, Sweden: Kliniken 2000 Jon Fosse, Norway: Ein sommars dag 2002 Jóanes Nielsen, Faroe Islands: Hedder noget land Week-end 2004 Astrid Saalbach, Denmark: Verdens Ende 2006 Kari Hotakainen, Finland: Punahukka 2008 Juha Jokela, Finland: Fundamentalisti 2010 Heidi Junkkaala, Finland: Kymmenen tikkua laudalla Finnish candidates: 1992 Juha Siltanen: Foxtrot 1994 Kristian Smeds: Meän tyär 1996 Paavo Haavikko: Anastasia ja minä 1998 Jouko ja Juha Turkka: Rakkaita pettymyksiä rakkaudessa 2000 Reko Lundán: Aina joku eksyy 2002 Kristian Smeds: Yhä pimenevä talo 2004 Pirkko Saisio: Tunnottomuus 2006 Kari Hotakainen: Punahukka. 2008 Juha Jokela: Fundamentalisti 2010 Heidi Junkkaala: Kymmenen tikkua laudalla Thalia Gala The very first prize giving gala for performing arts was held in Helsinki on February 7th 2010. In the future it will be annual gala. At the gala 19 prizes were given out. The gala was broadcasted by national TV. Thalia Gala pages (in Finnish) Illusionist prize Finnish Theatre Information Centre has awarded Illusionist prizes for Finnish theatre people since 1998. From 2010 the Illusionist prize will be given out annually at the Thalia Gala. Illusionists 1998-2010: 2010 Hanna Kirjavainen and Rospuutto-ryhmä 2006 Johanna Harjunpää, Marja Davidsson, Kaija Viinikainen 2004 Aila Lavaste 2002 Pirkko Paananen, Anneli Karppinen, Annamari Karjalainen 2000 Hannu-Pekka Björkman, Juhani W. Rytkölä, Hanna-Leena Helavuori, Pentti Paavolainen 1998 Sirpa Hölttä, Leila Lensu, Esa Kyllönen, Johan Storgård, Petri Tiainen, Tuula Väänänen, Juha Äystö, Ruth Dahlberg