Dvořák Symphony No 9
2026-03-26 18:00 - 19:00 (Europe/London) | Barbican Centre, Silk Street, London, EC2Y 8DS, United Kingdom
Dvořák’s Symphony No 9 From the New World introduced by the performers, with screens in the hall to bring you closer to the action. Kick-start your evening with a 60-minute Half Six Fix concert with the London Symphony Orchestra.

Written during his years as director of America’s National Conservatory of Music in the 1890s, Dvořák’s homage to the US draws on spirituals and Native American inspiration, but with the folk music of his Czech homeland never far away. Rhythmically exciting and richly melodic, the third movement features one of classical music’s most enduring and endearing tunes.
Presenting and conducting tonight’s concert is Anja Bihlmaier, a German conductor who for the past few years has been making waves on the UK orchestral and operatic scene.

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.

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.

Pavel Haas Quartet
2026-03-01 19:30 - 21:30 | Wigmore Hall, 36 Wigmore Street, London, W1U 2BP, United Kingdom
The renowned Pavel Haas Quartet returns to Wigmore Hall with a programme of Czech masterworks. Suk’s heartfelt Meditation and Janáček’s impassioned ‘Intimate Letters’ precede Dvořák’s radiant Op. 97 String Quintet, created during the composer’s summer stay in Spillville, Iowa in 1893 and distinguished by its beguiling blend of Bohemian folk flavours and themes imbued with ideas absorbed from Native American and African-American music.
Programme
Josef Suk Meditation on an old Bohemian Chorale (St Wenceslas) Op. 35a
Leoš Janáček String Quartet No. 2 ‘Intimate Letters’
Antonín Dvořák String Quintet in E flat Op. 97

Veronika Jarůšková violin

Marek Zwiebel violin
Šimon Truszka viola
Peter Jarůšek cello
Dana Zemtsov viola

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/

Brundibár Arts Festival
2026-01-31 19:30 - 2026-02-08 21:30
Brundibár Arts Festival was launched in January 2016 as the first annual Festival in the UK dedicated to the Music and Arts of the Holocaust. Located in Newcastle and Gateshead, the Festival takes its name from Hans Krása’s children’s opera “Brundibár” (meaning bumblebee), which was first performed publicly by the children of Theresienstadt concentration camp in 1943. Brundibár Arts Festival seeks to find new ways to positively document the astonishing achievements of artists under adversity, and to keep their stories alive through music and the arts.
Saturday 31 January 19.30 – 21.30
St James’s United Reformed Church, Northumberland Road, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 8JF
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/brundibar-arts-festival-opening-concert-tickets-1851187765439
Monday 2 February 18.30 – 19.30
Literary & Philosophical Society, 23 Westgate Road, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 1SE
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/short-concert-series-concert-1-tickets-1909713176519
Tuesday 3 February 13.000 -14.00
Literary & Philosophical Society, 23 Westgate Road, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 1SE
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/short-concert-series-concert-2-tickets-1909770397669
Tuesday 3 February 18.30-19.30
Brunswick Methodist Church, Brunswick Place, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 7BJ
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/short-concerts-series-concert-three-tickets-1851730007299
Wednesday 4 February 19.00-21.00
Tyneside Cinema, New House, 10 Pilgrim Street, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 6QG
The Last Musician of Auschwitz + Q&A

Thursday 5 February 19.30-21.30
St James’s United Reformed Church, Northumberland Road, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 8JF
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/a-voice-not-stilled-tickets-1918303540529
Saturday 7 February 13.000 -14.00
All Saints’ Church, West Avenue, Gosforth NE3 4ES
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/short-concert-series-concert-four-tickets-1936793915739
Saturday 7 February 18.30 -19.30
All Saints’ Church, West Avenue, Gosforth NE3 4ES
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/short-concert-series-concert-five-tickets-1943906258949
Sunday 8 February 19.30-21.30
Newcastle University Kings Hall, Armstrong Building, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 8QB
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/brundibar-arts-festival-2026-closing-concert-tickets-1948643488129

Janáček's The Makropulos Affair
2026-01-13 19:00 - 2026-01-15 21:00 | Barbican Centre, Silk Street, London, EC2Y 8DS, United Kingdom
A 300-year-old woman confronts mortality, identity and lost love in this concert performance of Janáček’s intense operatic drama.

The Makropoulos Affair contains some of Janáček’s most compelling music, starting with its Prelude that hints at the 16th-century birth year of Emilia Marty, complete with pounding timpani and fanfares. From there, Janáček spins a taut drama culminating in a heartbreaking scene as Emilia finally confesses to her identity.
This is the fourth Janáček opera performed by Sir Simon Rattle and the London Symphony Orchestra. This year’s cast is as exceptional as ever, with soprano Marlis Petersen as the emotionally complex Emilia, and tenor Aleš Briscein – a veteran of Janáček’s distinctive musical style – as Albert Gregor, the young lawyer enamoured with Emilia.

Tuesday 13 & Thursday 15 January, 7-9.05pm, no interval

Steven Isserlis
2025-11-29 19:30 - 21:30 | Wigmore Hall, 36 Wigmore Street, London, W1U 2BP, United Kingdom
Bohemia and Moravia, historic regions of the Czech Republic, cultivated a rich tradition of cello playing. Steven Isserlis and Connie Shih trace its development from the music of cellist-composer Jan Stiastny (c.1764 – c.1830), ‘the Beethoven of the violoncello’, to striking works by Janáček and Martinů, the latter written in exile following the Nazi annexation of its composer’s homeland.
Bernard Stiastny Theme and Variations
Antonín Dvořák 4 Romantic Pieces Op. 75 (arranged by Steven Isserlis)
Ignaz Moscheles Cello Sonata in E Op. 121
Josef Suk Ballade in D minor Op. 3 No. 1, Serenade in A Op. 3 No. 2
Leoš Janáček Pohádka
Bohuslav Martinů Cello Sonata No. 1

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

British Museum and the Czechoslovak National Gallery in the1980s
2025-11-18 18:30 - 20:30 | Czech Embassy cinema, 26 Kensington Palace Gardens, London, W8 4QY
Between 1983 and 1987, as part of a cultural agreement between the UK and Czechoslovakia, the speaker, then a very junior member of the British Museum staff, was instructed to organise a joint exhibition of the work of Václav/Wenceslaus Hollar to be shown in London and Prague. This led into other collaborations; the talk will give his memories of these exhibitions, which were often bizarre but always a great pleasure.
Antony Griffiths, art historian, is the former Keeper of the Department of Prints and Drawings, British Museum, and Slade Professor of Fine Art at University of Oxford.
Price £15 including a glass of wine see Eventbrite booking link below
To pay at the door please notify us: events@czechfriends.net
EVENT ORGANISED WITH THE COOPERATION OF THE EMBASSY OF THE CZECH REPUBLIC
All proceeds raised go towards the care and conservation of Czech heritage

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

Semafor: Pop Culture in Prague’s 1960s
2025-11-13 19:00 - 21:00 | Czech Embassy cinema, 26 Kensington Palace Gardens, London, W8 4QY
Bursting into the 1960s with wit, charm, and a rebellious spirit, Prague’s Semafor Theatre became a beacon of creativity behind the Iron Curtain. The unforgettable duo of Jiří Suchý and Jiří Šlitr brought Czechoslovakia its first wave of modern pop, offbeat humour, and a form of rebellion that spoke a language different from that of official power and the media. Their songs became the soundtrack of a generation and a symbol of cultural resistance.
In this special event, music historian and author of Suchý & Šlitr, Semafor 1959–1969, Pavel Klusák, and Jiří Šlitr’s daughter, Dominika Křesťanová, share stories, rare insights, and the cultural legacy of a duo who defined an era, and the rebellion that stole a language for its own game.

This event also marks the recent release of Pavel Klusák’s book Suchý a Šlitr: Semafor 1959–1969 (Host, 2024, 456 pages, ISBN 978-80-275-1813-5), which explores the rise of Semafor and its cultural impact during a decade of change. The book, awarded the Egon Erwin Kisch Prize for non-fiction, offers a vivid portrait of the duo’s creative world and their lasting influence on Czechoslovak popular culture.
Admission: £7 (+ Eventbrite fee) see booking link below
Part of 29th Made in Prague Festival / Czech Centre London

Vlny/Waves film screening
2025-11-09 17:30 - 20:00 | BFI IMAX, 1 Charlie Chaplin Walk, Lond
The screening of Vlny/Waves will be followed by a Q&A with director Jiří Mádl.
A broadcast that will change history. Gripping and never-before-published stories by the journalists of Czechoslovak Radio.

Prague, 1968. Tomáš, a young technician caring for his rebellious younger brother, joins the international newsroom of Czechoslovak Radio, unaware the Secret Service is watching every move. As political tension escalates and Soviet tanks surround the radio building, Tomáš faces a choice: stand with the defiant journalists or save his brother. Inspired by the untold true story of journalists who risked everything to deliver independent news and keep their broadcasts alive during the 1968 Soviet invasion, this gripping political thriller blends dynamic cinematography, compelling performances, and a masterful mix of archival footage and fiction to capture the intense drama and courage of those fighting for free speech in a city under siege.
Jiří Mádl, Czech Republic, Slovakia 2024, 126’
Cast: Vojtěch Vodochodský, Tatiana Pauhofová, Stanislav Majer, Vojtěch Kotek, Martin Hoffmann

BOOKING LINK COMING SOON
Part of 29th Made in Prague Festival / Czech Centre London

The Makropolus Case
2025-11-04 19:30 - 2025-11-21 22:00 | Royal Opera House
Composed between 1923 and 1925, The Makropulos Case (or The Makropulos Affair) is characterised by its unique, modernist musical style that aligns closely with the opera’s dark and philosophical themes. Janáček’s score employs short and repetitive motifs that mirror the psychological tension and emotional complexity of the opera’s characters. Marked by sharp contrasts, rhythmic irregularities and unexpected harmonies, the music creates a soundscape that feels both unsettling and captivating – a synthesis that defines the mysterious character of Emilia Marty. Janáček’s innovative use of speech melodies – melodic lines that mimic the natural inflections of spoken language – contribute to the opera’s intense realism, making the emotions of each character feel vivid and immediate. Speech melody can be found in much of Janáček’s other operas, including his earlier-composed Jenůfa.

Emilia Marty, a famous and mysterious opera singer, has lived for over 300 years thanks to an elixir of immortality. But when she becomes entangled in a battle to obtain a crucial document that will help her renew the life-extending formula, she begins to grapple with the emptiness and isolation her centuries-long existence has brought her.
In its first-ever staging with The Royal Opera, Janáček’s haunting and enigmatic masterpiece is reimagined through a contemporary lens by Katie Mitchell, who explores what it means to love, and at what cost. Ausrine Stundyte makes a welcome return to the house to sing the mysterious Emilia Marty, whose immortality is both a gift and a curse. Music Director of The Royal Opera Jakub Hrůša conducts.
general booking opens 2 July 2025

Czech Film Classics
2025-11-01 00:00 - 2025-11-30 23:30
Watch for free as part of a free trial BFI Player Subscription. To access your special offer, simply visit player.bfi.org.uk/subscribe. Enter the code MadeinPrague25 to claim an additional free month and discover the greatest global cinema on demand. This offer is only available to audiences in the UK.

Redeem the offer by 30 November 2025
You’ll need to enter your payment card details as your subscription will automatically renew at the end of the free trial period unless you cancel beforehand

The Riders of the Sky
Jindřich Polák, Czechoslovakia 1968, 95‘, English subtitles
Cast: Jiří Bednář, Jiří Hrzán, Svatopluk Matyáš, Elsie Randolph, Joan Seton
Drawing on Filip Jánský’s novel and the real-life experiences of Czech RAF gunners, this gripping black-and-white war drama follows a multinational bomber crew—Czech, Slovak, English, and Canadian—navigating the daily perils of air raids over Germany. When Czech gunner Student is gravely injured during an attack on Nuremberg, the crew confronts the human cost of war. Featuring authentic aerial footage and a haunting score, including Ghost Riders in the Sky, the film is both a thrilling and deeply personal portrayal of wartime aviation. Banned after the 1968 Soviet invasion, it remains a striking tribute to unsung RAF heroes.
Ecce Homo Homolka
Jaroslav Papoušek, Czechoslovakia 1969, 83‘, English subtitles
Cast: Josef Šebánek, Marie Motlová, František Husák, Helena Růžičková, Petr a Matěj Formanovi
The final gem of the Czechoslovak New Wave, Jaroslav Papoušek’s comedy, follows a single summer day with the Homolka family: grandparents, their son Ludva, daughter-in-law Heduš, and twin grandchildren. What begins as a simple countryside outing descends into chaos, exposing petty quarrels and the absurdities of everyday life in 1960s Czechoslovakia. Papoušek’s razor-sharp wit, keen social observation, and mastery of situational humour bring these unforgettable characters to life, while the mischievous Forman twins add lively spontaneity. Brimming with iconic dialogue, comedic brilliance, and subtle satire, the film remains a timeless portrait of family, materialism, and human folly.
The White Disease
Hugo Haas, Czechoslovakia 1937, 105´, English subtitles
Cast: Hugo Haas, Zdeněk Štěpánek, Karla Olicová, Václav Vydra Sr.
Based on Karel Čapek’s visionary play, White Disease (1937) tells of a mysterious plague sweeping the world, sparing no one—rich or poor. Only one man, Dr. Galén, holds the cure— but he will release it only if the leaders renounce war. His ultimatum collides with a ruthless dictator preparing for invasion,— a thinly veiled portrait of Hitler and Nazi Germany. Banned in Czechoslovakia after the 1938 Munich Agreement, the film remains uncannily relevant today: a tense thought-provoking parable where deadly disease and the lust for power intertwine. A forgotten classic that resonates as urgently now as on the eve of World War II.

Part of 29th Made in Prague Festival / Czech Centre London

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

Brno Philharmonic UK tour
2025-10-14 19:30 - 2025-10-19 21:30
The UK tour in mid October visits Basingstoke, Birmingham, Edinburgh, London, Manchester and Sheffield offering two programmes including Dvořák’s 6th or 7th Symphony and Janáček’s Lachian Dances with their chief conductor, Dennis Russell Davies.
The Brno Philharmonic is celebrating its 70th anniversary. It was established in 1956 through the merger of the Radio Orchestra and the Brno Regional Symphony orchestra.
Manchester 14 October 7.30pm Bridgwater Hall
Birmingham 15 October 7.30pm Symphony Hall
Basingstoke 16 October 7.30pm The Anvil
London 17 October 7.30pm Cadogan Hall
Sheffield 18 October 7.30pm Sheffield City Hall
Edinburgh 19 October 7.30pm Usher Hall

Follow the individual location links for booking details.

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

Maria Theresa in Bohemia
2025-10-07 18:30 - 20:30 | Czech Embassy cinema, 26 Kensington Palace Gardens, London, W8 4QY
A lecture by Richard Bassett. At the age of just twenty-three Empress Maria Theresa succeeded to the Habsburg domains only to find them contested by almost every European power. Over the next forty years she became a fierce leader and opponent, as well as a devoted wife and mother to sixteen children.
Her radical reforms transformed central Europe and her lasting legacy continues to reverberate to this day.
Richard Bassett, former Times correspondent in Eastern Europe and author of the widely acclaimed Last Days in Old Europe first travelled to Prague as an architectural historian. He later spent nearly ten years covering events in communist Czechoslovakia including the Velvet Revolution. An expert on Central Europe, he taught at many European universities and is a Bye-Fellow of Christ’s College, Cambridge. His latest book is Maria Theresa: Empress, Yale University Press, £25.
Tickets £15 include a glass of wine. See Eventbrite booking link below.
All proceeds raised go towards the care and conservation of Czech heritage.
Image: Empress Maria Theresa by Martin van Meytens (1759), Academy of Fine Arts, Vienna, via Creative Commons Wikimedia
EVENT ORGANISED WITH THE COOPERATION OF THE EMBASSY OF THE CZECH REPUBLIC.

Pavel Haas Quartet
2025-10-01 19:30 - 21:30 | Wigmore Hall, 36 Wigmore Street, London, W1U 2BP, United Kingdom
Twenty years after the Pavel Haas Quartet triumphed in the Prague Spring Competition, their intelligent artistry, distinguished by intoxicating tonal refinement and searing energy, continues to mature and deepen. They move from Martinů’s acerbic Third String Quartet to the old-world charm of Korngold’s Op.26 and yearning romanticism of Dvořák’s last string quartet.
Bohuslav Martinů String Quartet No. 3
Erich Wolfgang Korngold String Quartet No. 2 in E flat Op. 26
Antonín Dvořák String Quartet in A flat Op. 105

Veronika Jarůšková,violin

Marek Zwiebel,violin

Šimon Truszka,viola

Peter Jarůšek,cello

Fiction from wartime Slovakia
2025-09-29 18:30 - 20:30 | Hatchards Piccadilly, 187 Piccadilly, London, W1J 9LE, United Kingdom
Hatchards Piccadilly is delighted to welcome Jan Zikmund of Karolinum Press along with translator Julia Sherwood and literary scholar Tim Beasley-Murray for a discussion of Slovak literature and, in particular, two recently translated prose works of the mid-20th century:
The Hours and the Minutes by Alfonz Bednár translated by David Short
The Hours and The Minutes was first published in Bratislava in 1956, the year of Nikita Khrushchev’s “secret speech”, in which the Soviet leader formally acknowledged Stalin’s tyranny and opened the way for political reform throughout the Eastern Bloc. Alfonz Bednár was one of the first writers to reject nationalist and communist propaganda. In these five novellas, Bednár is preoccupied with the insensitive, even inhuman, rootless, and amoral modernity that the war and Communist Party imported into traditional Slovak life, as well as the rural destruction brought about by modernization and urbanization, and with it a particular approach to life.
The Last Thing by Leopold Lahola translated by Julia Sherwood and Peter Sherwood
Slovak Jewish writer Leopold Lahola escaped deportation to a concentration camp and fought in the resistance – only to then find himself forced into exile by the post-war communist regime. He emerged from obscurity during the brief thaw of the Prague Spring. The nine stories which make up The Last Thing range from the pre-war rise of fascism and its dangers for the Jewish community through the concentration camps and the partisan fight against the Germans, concluding in the devastating awareness of all that had been lost and destroyed in the war. It’s a collection that offers not only a compelling read but starkly new perspectives on the tragedy and grandeur of that momentous time in history.
We hope you will be able to join us if you can for what promises to be a fascinating evening of discussion!

Tickets £5-10 see Eventbrite booking link below

Trio Gaspard
2025-09-21 11:30 - 12:30 | Wigmore Hall, 36 Wigmore Street, London, W1U 2BP, United Kingdom
Trio Gaspard, hailed by Fanfare for its ‘chameleon-like ability to adapt’ to a vast array of musical styles, follows its residency at Wigmore Hall in 2023-24 with an exploration of two dark-hued works that project the tremendous power and rhythmic energy of Czech music at its finest.

general sale opens 23 April

Bohuslav Martinů Piano Trio No. 2 in D minor
Antonín Dvořák Piano Trio in F minor Op. 65

Jonian Ilias Kadesha violin

Vashti Hunter cello

Nicholas Rimmer piano

The Emil Zátopek Run
2025-09-21 11:00 - 17:00 | Linford Christie Athletic Stadium, Linford Christie Road, London, W12 0DF, United Kingdom
Thames Valley Harriers and the Czech Centre invite you to lace up your trainers and join the fourth annual Emil Zátopek Charity Run — a celebration of grit, greatness and the timeless spirit of one of the most extraordinary athletes the world has ever known.
Whether you’re racing for a personal best, chasing your first finish line, or just soaking in the spirit of sport — this is your run.
This year, we’re introducing a fresh new format:
A 1-MILE CHARITY RUN FOR ALL AGES
&
QUADKIDS ATHLETICS COMPETITION
(athletic mini-races for children in running, jumping, throwing and sprinting)
You can also look forward to

FREE games and other activities by Czech School Without Borders and Okenko.uk

Food, BBQ, Czech beer and other refreshments after the run
Medal Ceremony & Chill-Out Social After the Race

More information about registration and the day’s timings will be available soon.
ABOUT EMIL ZÁTOPEK
Known as “The Czech Locomotive”, Emil Zátopek wasn’t just a runner — he was a force of nature. With an unorthodox stride and unstoppable will, he conquered the 1948 London Olympics and shattered records in Helsinki in 1952, winning gold in the 5000m, 10000m, and marathon — all in one Games. No one has done it since.
There are many books and films about Zátopek’s life and sport achievements, including those of British authors: Richard Askwith’s biography Today We Die a Little: The Rise and Fall of Emil Zatopek, Olympic Legend and Pat Butcher’s Quicksilver: The Mercurial Emil Zatopek.
In 2013, Runner’s World named him the Greatest Runner of All Time.
ZÁTOPEK ATHLETIC FELLOWSHIP
The Emil Zátopek Run was first organised by CC and TVH in 2022 to celebrate Zátopek’s centennial anniversary and raise funds for a newly established Zátopek Athletic Fellowship, empowering young talent from West London to chase their dreams on the track, just like Zátopek once did.
Proceeds from starting fees as well as all voluntary contributions towards the Zátopek Run will be donated to support the Fellowship.
Any donations towards The Zátopek’s Athletic Fellowship can be sent to:
Business Account name: Thames Valley Harriers
Sort Code: 60-05-30
Account Number: 17125197
please add Payment Reference: Zatopek
DIRECTIONS:
Race registration will be next to the Thames Valley Harriers clubhouse in Linford Christie Stadium. The entrance for cars is Artillery Lane off Du Cane Rd, between the hospitals and prison, postcode for satnav W12 OAE. At the end of Artillery Lane approaching the Scrubs, there is a 6’ 6” height barrier entrance to the main car park, the stadium is located at the end of the car park.
For public transport East Acton on the Central Line is the closest station, a few minutes walk from the stadium. Buses stop on Du Cane Rd near Artillery Lane, please see details for buses stopping at Hammersmith Hospital on the Transport for London website.

Jakub Hrůša and Friends
2025-09-20 19:00 - 21:00 | Royal Opera House
New Music Director of The Royal Opera Jakub Hrůša leads the Orchestra of the Royal Opera House in a rich programme of Czech and Hungarian music. From the hallucinatory orchestral colours of Béla Bartók’s scandalous Suite from The Miraculous Mandarin, to Antonín Dvořák’s rarely-heard cantata for soloists and chorus, The Spectre’s Bride, an evening of extraordinary musical storytelling awaits. Don’t miss this chance to see the Orchestra and Chorus of the Royal Opera House centre stage in a thrilling programme of concert works.
Two macabre musical tales
Shocking, scandalous, and a masterclass in orchestration, Béla Bartók’s The Miraculous Mandarin created a sensation when it was first performed as a ballet in 1926. A young woman dances in a window, luring men to a violent death. What begins as a sordid tale of sex and murder turns into something altogether more sinister, when her final victim demands satisfaction – from beyond the grave… Arranged in 1928, this orchestral Suite condenses the ballet’s lurid tale, stopping short of the story’s bloody consummation, whilst still retaining the score’s hallucinogenic vividness.
Antonín Dvořák’s cantata, The Spectre’s Bride, tells the macabre tale of a young bride-to-be who is kidnapped by a ghost she believes to be her lover. Composed in 1884, and based on a poem by Karel Jaromír Erben (whose folktales inspired Dvořák’s much-loved opera, Rusalka), this rarely-performed work for soloists, chorus and orchestra depicts the bride’s wild ride through a hellish night – but as dawn breaks, order is restored. Alongside the Royal Opera Chorus, a trio of Czech soloists (Kateřina Kněžíková and Pavol Kubáň in their Royal Opera debuts, and Pavel Černoch) bring this spectacular tale to life.
general booking opens 2 July 2025

Emigré Czech architects walking tour
2025-09-07 10:15 - 17:10
A London walking tour to see the work of emigré Czech architects. Following on from John East’s informative lecture in the Czech Embassy last year, we are delighted to have Ivan Margolius (architect and author) show us key buildings, with some of which he was involved.
Meet at 10:15 hrs in the Bollinger Gallery at the Victoria and Albert & Albert Museum. We will see Eva Jiřičná staircases followed by a unique architectural tour of Lords with lunch at their Tavern (13:30 to 14:30). After lunch we will see various Yorke Rosenberg and Mardall/YRM and Future Systems structures in the Waterloo, Canary Wharf and City areas. The tour will end at approximately 17:10 hrs near Chancery Lane, City of London.
Price £30, covering all entrance charges, but not any meals, coffee or extras. PRE-BOOKING IS ESSENTIAL.
Please email us your name/s and those of any guests to:
events@czechfriends.net
Booking deadline is 25th August 2025.
Maximum number of persons: 20
Please send any questions to: info@czechfriends.net
Images, clockwise from top left: Bollinger Gallery in V&A Museum/ Lords Media Centre / West India Quay Bridge / YRM building, Greystoke Place in the City. All images © R. Dowden except for top right ©Hobbs Luton via Creative Commons Wikimedia

Toyen: dreaming in the margins
2025-09-03 10:00 - 2025-10-04 17:00 | Richard Saltoun Gallery, 41 Dover Street, London, W1S 4NS, United Kingdom
Richard Saltoun Gallery presents Dreaming in the Margins: Toyen, the first UK exhibition devoted to one of the most extraordinary women artists of the Surrealist movement, whose reputation and critical reappraisal have risen dramatically in recent years. Recognized one of the most enigmatic and fiercely independent figures in Surrealism, Toyen (1902–1980) was born Marie Čermínová in Prague. She adopted a gender-neutral identity early in life, rejecting societal conventions – a position reflected throughout her work and public persona.
Toyen was a central figure in both the pre war formation of Surrealism in Prague with the Devestil Group and later in post war Paris with the Surrealists. Her workin Prague with Jindřich Štyrský, and later with Jindřich Heisler, were regarded by André Breton as quintessential contributions to the Surrealist movement. Their friendship and creative exchange endured until his death, after which Toyen moved into his former studio at 42 Rue Fontaine, where she lived until her own death in 1980.
This exhibition brings into focus the depth and breadth of Toyen’s graphic work – including illustrated books, prints, drawings, catalogues and archival materials – making it one of the most comprehensive presentations of this part of her oeuvre ever compiled. The exhibits are drawn entirely from a single-owner collection.
With the outbreak of the Second World War, Toyen remained in Nazi-occupied Prague. Following the death of Štyrský in 1942, she entered into a close creative and personal partnership with the poet Jindřich Heisler, who was living in hiding as a Jewish writer. Toyen sheltered Heisler in her apartment for the entire war – an act of profound solidarity and resistance. In 1947, Toyen relocated permanently to Paris with Heisler, and became one of the few women deeply involved in Surrealism’s post war resurgence. In the final two decades of her life, Toyen formed a deep artistic and intellectual bond with the poet, philosopher and fellow Surrealist, Annie Le Brun.
Free entry. Opening times: Tues-Fri, 10am-6pm, Saturdays 11am-5pm.
Image copyright the estate of the artist

Káťa Kabanová
2025-08-03 15:00 - 2025-08-23 19:05 | Glyndbourne, Lewes, Sussex, BN8 5UU, United Kingdom
Janáček’s powerful tale of love and heartache in a searingly beautiful staging.

Trapped in an unhappy marriage Káťa is drawn into a passionate affair. As a wild storm brews, she is overwhelmed by her actions. Damiano Michieletto’s raw staging cuts to the heart of Káťa’s guilt and despair as she makes a choice between love and life itself.
Sung in Czech with English supertitles.
Káťa Kabanová – Kateřina Kněžíková
gardens open 2pm, opera starts at 4pm with a 90 minute interval

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).

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.

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
