2025 children's art competition
2025-06-01 12:00 - 2025-06-21 14:00 (Europe/London)
Calling all young artists and writers in the UK with Czech or Slovak origins!

This year’s theme “FREEDOM” is inspired by the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II.

What does freedom mean to you today? When do you feel the most free, and why? What does a free world look like in your imagination? Why is freedom important for everyone, not just for you? What message do you want your artwork to share about freedom?

You can express yourself in any ART form.

Winners will be announced at the BCSA/CBCC Garden Party on 21st June 2025 and will receive prizes.

Age categories: 5-7, 8-10, 11-14, 15-18.

Submission in person by 2pm on the day of the garden party or by post by 18th June 2025. Please email events@bcsa.co.uk for the postal address.

We look forward to receiving your art works.

Volhynian Czechs in western Ukraine
2025-06-13 18:30 - 20:30 | Czech Embassy, 26-30 Kensington Palace Gardens, London, W8 4QY
Who are the Volhynian Czechs? Discover the powerful and little-known story of a Czech community that took root in Volhynia (western Ukraine) in the 19th century—and has stood at the crossroads of war, displacement, and identity ever since.
Professor Lyudmyla Chyzhevska, head of the Zhytomyr Association of Volhynian Czechs and the Czech National Council of Ukraine, she shares insights on:

19th-century Czech settlement in Volhynia
Their role in WWI and WWII
Displacement after the Chernobyl disaster and during recent conflicts
The present-day challenges facing this community

🗣️ Q&A session to follow
Free entry, all are welcome in person or online.
Registration via Eventbrite booking link below is essential.
Organised by the Czech and Slovak School Okénko & the British Czech and Slovak Association in cooperation with the Embassy of the Czech Republic, London

BCSA/CBCC Garden Party
2025-06-21 14:00 - 18:00 | Czech Embassy, 26-30 Kensington Palace Gardens, London, W8 4QY
Our summer social will once again be held in the gardens of the Czech and Slovak Embassies, with their kind permission.
All are welcome – not just BCSA members. Bring your friends, bring your family! Enjoy an afternoon relaxing among Slovak, Czech and British people.

Traditional dance performance by Okénko
Raffle prizes include Ensana hotel stays at Buxton Crescent Hotel, Mariánské Lázně – Nové Lázně or Pieštany health spa
Children’s art competition exhibition

The ticket price includes one complimentary alcoholic/non-alcoholic beverage. This year catering will be provided by the chef of the Czech Embassy whose premises have been made available to us.

Admission by pre-paid tickets only; see booking link below

£14.00 children (5-15 years)

£19.00 full-time students

£24.00 BCSA members

£30.00 non-members

£60.00 member family package (two adults, three children 5-15)

£72.00 non-member family package (two adults, three children 5-15)

Complimentary admission for children under 5 years

Tickets non-refundable after June 16th (00:00 BST)

Capacity is limited; early booking is recommended to secure your attendance.

Jewish women from Slovakia
2025-06-23 18:00 - 20:30 | Slovak Embassy, 25 Kensington Palace Gardens, London, W8 4QY, United Kingdom
A panel discussion about Jewish women from Slovakia – Legacy and Identities accompanied by the opening of an exhibition “Women who have left their mark” at the Slovak Embassy, London.

Michal Vaněk – Director of the Museum of Jewish Culture, who prepared the exhibition

Michal has worked at the Museum of Jewish Culture of the Slovak National Museum since 2009, where he started as a curator. He is an author and co-author of several internationally acclaimed exhibitions related to the development of Jewish sport and its leading personalities.

Julia Sherwood – will be talking about “Agneša Kalinová, her life (or Seven Lives) and legacy“ and briefly about Irena Blühová.

Julia is a translator and promoter of Slovak literature She was born and grew up in Bratislava and studied English and Slavonic languages and literature in Cologne, London and Munich. She co-curates the website SlovakLiterature.com and is the editor of Seagull Books’ Slovak List.

Caroline Hilton – will be focusing on the life of her mother, Gerta Vrbová, who is part of the exhibition, after World War II and the challenges she faced.

Caroline is an Associate Professor in Primary Education at UCL Institute of Education.

Dr. Bea Lewkowicz – will be moderating the evening and discussing the lives of the Slovak-Jewish interviewees in the AJR Refugee Voices Archive.

Bea is an Oral Historian and Curator. She is the director and co-founder of two oral history archives, the AJR Refugee Voices Testimony Archive of the Association of Jewish Refugees and Sephardi Voices UK. She is the Project Lead of the Holocaust Testimony UK portal which launched was launched in December 2024, and recently curated the 80 Objects/80 Lives digital exhibition. She is currently working on a book based on her mother’s testimony (Hiding in Plain Sight – A Holocaust Memoir of Survival in Slovakia).

Dr Jana Burešová´s topic for the discussion will be “Lest We Forget Them: The Unacknowledged Inspirational Women“

Jana is a historian specialising in Czechoslovak exile, particularly women refugees and WWII-era migration; contributes to exile studies research and works on works on refugee oral and archival testimonies.
The specially curated exhibition aims to present inspiring female figures of Jewish origin who are linked to the territory of today’s Slovakia – they were born here, lived here or are of Slovak origin – and whose achievements in science, art, and business left a lasting international legacy. In spite of historical barriers, these women rose to prominence and helped to redefine women’s role within society. Through their stories, we warmly encourage you to join us for an evening dedicated to memory, talent and the talent and an ongoing journey to recognition.
Free entry, all are welcome in person or online. Doors open at 5.30pm.
Registration via Eventbrite booking link below is essential.
Hosted by the Embassy of the Slovak Republic in London in collaboration with the Museum of Jewish Culture in Bratislava, the Association of Jewish Refugees (AJR) and the British Czech and Slovak Association (BCSA).

The Czech parliamentary elections
2025-10-09 18:00 - 19:30 | UCL SSEES, 16 Taviton St, London, WC1H 0BW, United Kingdom
Democracy at a crossroads? The Czech parliamentary elections and their implications
A roundtable discussion organised by the SSEESing NOW seminar series, co-sponsored by the British Czech and Slovak Association (BCSA)
The Czech Republic will hold parliamentary elections on 3–4 October 2025, which are widely expected to return Andrej Babiš’s ANO movement to power. In this roundtable event, organised by the SSEES-ing NOW seminar series and co-sponsored by the BCSA, specialists on Czech politics, society, and public opinion will assess the election results and consider their implications for the Czech Republic’s democracy, society, and position in Europe.
The event will be moderated by Dr Jakub Benes, UCL SSEES. It will take place in person (Masaryk Room) and will also be livestreamed online.
Jessie Barton Hronešová is Lecturer in Political Sociology at UCL SSEES with a focus on Central and Southeast Europe. Her research explores the role of narratives in shaping politics, memory, and identity, and she has published widely on these topics. She has also advised international organisations and governments on policy issues relating to transitional justice, democracy, and post-war reconstruction in Central and Southeast Europe.
Dr Sean Hanley, Associate Professor in Comparative Central and East European Politics at UCL SSEES. Sean’s research interests include party politics, democratic backsliding and resilience, and the decline of the left in Central and Eastern Europe. He has a longstanding special interest in Czech politics and regularly contributes comment and analysis on Czech and wider Central and Eastern European politics for outlets such as France 24, Sky News, Euronews, Policy Network, EUROPP, and iHned.cz.

Dr Michael Škvrňák Researcher, Institute of Sociology of the Czech Academy of Sciences. He is also an analyst for PAQ Research. He specialises in the study of political elites, political careers, and the quality of democracy, and also works on data analysis and social policy research at PAQ Research. He has authored or co-authored publications on topics including the impact of election pledges, coalition formation, incumbency effects in Czech regional elections, and the relationship between participation and satisfaction with democracy in Central and Eastern Europe.

Dr Zora Hesová is assistant professor at the Department of Political Science at Charles University in Prague, where she focuses on the intersection of culture wars, religious movements, and secularism in Central and South Eastern Europe. She co-edited the book Central European Culture Wars: Beyond Post-Communism and Populism and has also published extensively on Islam, secularism, feminism, and morality politics in Central/Eastern Europe and the Balkans.
Pre-booking is essential via link below. Free admission.

Image credit: Canva, edited

Echoes of Exile
2025-10-16 19:00 - 21:00 | Czech Embassy cinema, 26 Kensington Palace Gardens, London, W8 4QY
A Family’s Odyssey through the Holocaust and Cold War
Join us for a compelling evening with historian and anthropologist Daniela Grollová Spenser, as she discusses her new book Echoes of Exile: A Family’s Odyssey through the Holocaust and Cold War.
Blending personal history with political insight, Spenser traces three generations of her family across some of the most turbulent chapters of the 20th century: from the devastation of the Holocaust and wartime imprisonment, through the vibrant intellectual and political life of 1960s Czechoslovakia, to the trauma of exile after the 1968 Soviet invasion. At the heart of the story are her mother, translator Ruth Tosková, and her stepfather, editor and journalist Vladimír Tosek, whose lives intertwined with prominent figures such as Jiří Pelikán and the émigré journal Listy.
The book—published in Czech by Argo (2025) and in English by the University of Alabama Press (2025)—offers a deeply human perspective on survival, displacement, and the shifting relationship between political exiles and Czech society after 1989.
The conversation will be chaired by Jana Burešová and will open a window into how private lives intersect with history on a global scale.
About the author:
Daniela Spenser is a fellow at CIESAS (Centro de Investigaciones y Estudios Superiores en Antropología Social) in Mexico City. She is also the author of The Impossible Triangle: Mexico, Soviet Russia, and the United States in the 1920sand Stumbling Its Way Through Mexico: The Early Years of the Communist International.
Supported by the BCSA.
Admission: £5 (+ Eventbrite fee) see booking link below

Journey to Freedom: International Students' Day
2025-11-17 18:00 - 20:00 | Slovak Embassy, 25 Kensington Palace Gardens, London, W8 4QY, United Kingdom
Come join us for a special event to commemorate International Students’ Day and the November 1989 Velvet Revolution. This day marks an important moment in history when students played a crucial role in the fight for freedom and democracy. Let’s celebrate this special day together!
The evening will feature:
A panel discussion “Generation of freedom: what did November 89 give us?” with contributions from H.E. Peter Susko, Ambassador of the Slovak Republic to the United Kingdom, and representatives of the young Slovak diaspora in the UK – Simona Vrabcová, Karin Popovičová, Gabriel Lovás and Peter Mikitič.
The programme will also include the launch of the book Student Odyssey and signing by its author, Jozef Leikert.
You can look forward to musical performance by saxophonist Alžběta Greenwood-Byrne.
The evening will be moderated by Jana Nahodilová (BCSA chair).

Refreshments will be provided following the event.

The event is free, but booking is essential via link below.

Dress code: smart casual

Doors open: 5:40pm

BCSA/CBCC annual dinner
2025-11-21 18:30 - 23:00 | DoubleTree by Hilton London- Tower of London, 7 Pepys Street, London, EC3N 4AF, United Kingdom
Our annual dinner will once again be held with the Czech British Chamber of Commerce (CBCC) this year at a new venue – the DoubleTree by Hilton London – Tower of London. If you are a newcomer to the BCSA or to London, we would like to extend a special invitation and welcome you into our friendly community. Kindly note that you may request seating at a table with your friends.
This is a wonderful opportunity for Slovaks, Czechs and Britons to mingle in a convivial atmosphere, to meet old friends and make new ones. Members and non-members alike will enjoy networking before and after dinner with business executives and members of the diplomatic community. Guests of honour include Peter Susko, the Slovak Ambassador and Václav Bartuška, the Czech Ambassador. There will be a three-course buffet with wine, the results of the BCSA annual writing competition and speeches. You’ll also able to win a wonderful prize in a raffle or purchase a valuable object in an auction.
Keynote speakers:
Tomáš Čermák is a 19-year-old student and researcher who, together with Anna Podmanická from Slovakia, developed a unique water filtration device called PURA, which was crowned the Global Winner of The Earth Prize 2025. Tomáš is a co-founder of STEM_HUB, a student-led organisation connecting passionate Czech students . He was nominated as WIRED’s Game Changer of 2025 for promoting science among young people, and received an APLAUS award from the Czech National Institute for Autism for raising awareness about autism. Tomáš has just moved to London to study Biomedical Engineering at Imperial College.
Ina Jovicic, founder and CEO eNOugh
eNOugh is building the world’s first mini AI bodyguard for everyday safety and has raised $2.6 million from top Silicon Valley investors. Ina was born and raised in Prague and left for the UK to study at UCL. She is a Sigma Squared Fellow and has received an award for Young Entrepreneur of the Year 2025.

Raffle prizes include the following donated by Ensana Health Spa Hotels
Three-night stay with half board and two treatments for two people in Nové Lázně, Mariánské Lázně, Czech Republic
Three-night stay with half board for two people in Thermia Palace, Piešt’any, Slovakia
Three-night stay with breakfast for two people in one of nine Danubius hotels in Budapest, Hungary

SOLD OUT!

BCSA and CBCC Members: £84 per person
Non-Members: £95 per person
Non-Members group (5 or more) £85 per person
Students £76.50 per person

The dinner includes a glass of sparkling wine upon arrival, a three-course buffet menu, carafe of white or red wine, sparkling/still water, tea or coffee.
Menu:
STARTERS
Roast pepper pasta salad
Mandarin, pomegranate, spinach and goat cheese salad
Fig roquette parmesan balsamic
Mixed salad leaves
MAINS
Roast turkey with cranberry gravy
Stuffing, pigs in blanket
Rosemary roast potatoes (V)
Maple glazed sprouts with herb crust (V)
Honey roasted carrot and parsnips (V can be made vegan)
Gnocchi with tarragon and wild mushroom ragu (vegan)
DESSERTS
Christmas pudding, brandy sauce (V)
Fruit salad (vegan)
Mince pies with tea or coffee

Dress code: Lounge suit
For more information contact us via bcsa@bcsa.co.uk

A mysterious people: Czech and Slovak Roma
2026-02-10 18:30 - 20:30 | Czech Embassy cinema, 26 Kensington Palace Gardens, London, W8 4QY
After outlining her own long experience of English Romany Gypsies, Dr. Brearley will discuss the origins and language of the Roma people, their arrival in Europe and subsequent persecution, and their specific history in Czech and Slovak lands until today.
Some unique features of Romani culture, traditions and law will be explored and the sources of anti-Gypsy stereotypes examined. Dr. Brearley’s talk will aim to entertain, inform, and increase awareness of the complex difficulties faced by Roma, past and present, including during WWII.
Dr Margaret Brearley (MA. Oxon., Ph.D. Cantab.) has lectured on Judaism and Jewish-Christian Relations at the Selly Oak Colleges, and widely in Britain, Israel, USA and Europe. A Wroxton Holocaust Scholar, she has also been a consultant to several films and TV documentaries, and published many academic articles and book chapters, especially on anti- Judaism, the Holocaust, Richard Wagner, genocide and Roma/Gypsies.
Light refreshments will be served afterwards.
This event will take place in person and will also be recorded. Organised in co-operation with the Czech Embassy London
BCSA members enjoy free entry but registration is essential.
Non-members £10, full-time students £5 see booking link below.
Eventbrite fees will be added to the cost of your tickets at checkout.
All proceeds from this event will go to the BCSA School Support Fund established in 2004 to provide support for English language skills in Czech and Slovak schools and other educational institutions. More information about our fund, see https://www.bcsa.co.uk/school-support-fund/

BCSA Annual General Meeting
2026-03-19 18:00 - 18:45 | Czech Embassy cinema, 26 Kensington Palace Gardens, London, W8 4QY
The formal AGM of the Association, which is open to all members, will be held at 6pm on Thursday 19th March 2026.
The agenda will include the presentation of the Chairman’s report, the Financial report for 2025 by the Treasurer and the election of the Executive Committee. Copies of the independently examined Accounts 2025 and the Minutes of the AGM held on 19th March 2025 will be available at the meeting, together with the Treasurer’s report.
The AGM will elect the four Honorary Officers of the Association – the Chair, Vice-Chair, Honorary Secretary and Honorary Treasurer. These posts are held for one year and are subject to election at every AGM. The current Chair, Jana Nahodilova, as well as the remaining Honorary Officers, namely Ruzena Holub, Blanka Shrimpton and Ivona Klemensova respectively, are willing to stand for re-election.
Of the members of the Executive Committee, who are elected for a term of three years, Angela Spindler-Brown and Edward Peacock are standing for re-election this year and Barbora Paziam stands for election as a full member of the Committee.
Any member of the BCSA can be nominated for the post of an Honorary Officer and/or a Committee member. Nomination forms can be obtained from the Honorary Secretary, Blanka Shrimpton, e-mail: secretary@bcsa.co.uk and returned to her by 12th March 2026.
Please register your attendance at the AGM to secretary@bcsa.co.uk, apologies for absence to be sent to the same e-mail address.
The AGM will be also live streamed via Zoom, the respective link will be made available to members after registration.
Refreshments will be available after the talk that follows the formal part of the evening.

The spy whom we love
2026-03-19 19:00 - 20:30 | Czech Embassy cinema, 26 Kensington Palace Gardens, London, W8 4QY
Drawing on his recent book The Bondian Cold War: The Transnational Legacy of a Cultural Icon (Routledge, 2024), Dr.Brown will explore James Bond as a cultural figure of the Cold War. The talk will examine how Bond’s stories reflected—and sometimes reshaped—the politics, tensions, and popular culture of the era, and how the spy became a global, transnational icon across novels, films, comics, and video games.
About the speaker
Dr. Martin Brown is Professor of International History at Richmond American University London, a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society, a member of Chatham House and the New Diplomatic History Network. From 2018–2019, he was lead researcher at the Centre of Excellence in Intercultural Studies at the University of Tallinn. His research interests include Central European history, Czechoslovak–British relations, and Cold War culture.
Light refreshments will be served afterwards.
The event will take place in person and will also be recorded. Organised in co-operation with the Czech Embassy London
Tickets:
• BCSA members: Free (registration required)
• Non-members: £10
• Full-time students: £5
(Eventbrite fees apply)
All proceeds from this event will go to the BCSA School Support Fund supporting English language education in Czech and Slovak schools.

Marina Pauliny: diplomacy, humanitarianism and women's leadership
2026-04-14 18:00 - 20:00 | Slovak Embassy, 25 Kensington Palace Gardens, London, W8 4QY, United Kingdom
An exhibition and panel discussion honouring Marina Pauliny, an extraordinary woman who connected nations in times of war and exile.

We are delighted to invite you to the opening of the exhibition and accompanying panel discussion honouring the life and legacy of Marina Pauliny, an extraordinary woman who connected nations in times of war and exile. This event is organised and hosted by the Embassy of the Slovak Republic in London in collaboration with the Slovak National Museum, Memorial Association for Free Czechoslovak Veterans (MAFCSV), British Red Cross and the British Czech and Slovak Association (BCSA).
The evening will feature a panel discussion moderated by Jana Nahodilová – chair of the British Czech and Slovak Association. with distinguished speakers:

Zuzana Francová – niece of Marina Pauliny and curator at the Museum of Bratislava

Gerry Manolas – chair of the Memorial Association for Free Czechoslovak Veterans

Peter Barta – director of the Slovak National Museum in Bratislava

Mehzebin Adam-Suter – curator of the British Red Cross Museum and Archives

It will be followed by the opening of an exhibition from the Slovak National Museum.
This event is free, but registration required see booking link below.

“Get to know you” social evening
2026-05-13 19:00 - 22:00 | Bohemia House, 74 West End Lane, London, NW6 2LX, United Kingdom
This is an opportunity for anyone interested in the British Czech and Slovak Association (members, supporters and friends) to meet, eat, drink, chat (maybe practise your Czech or Slovak) and get to know each other in a relaxed and informal setting.
Everyone interested in Czech and/or Slovak matters is most welcome to join us.
We will be in one of the rooms at Bohemia House, normally the first room on the left.
Food and drinks are available for purchase.
West Hampstead has three stations served by the Jubilee line, Overground and Thameslink.
