British Czech and Slovak Association

Vlny/Waves film screening
2025-11-09 17:30 - 20:00 (Europe/London) | 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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Brundibár Arts Festival
2026-01-31 19:30 - 2026-02-08 21:30 | Select a State or Province:
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

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/

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

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.

Dvořák Symphony No 9
2026-03-26 18:00 - 19:00 | 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.

“Get to know you” social evening
2026-04-08 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.

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.

Magdalena Kožená in recital
2026-04-21 19:30 - 21:30 | Wigmore Hall, 36 Wigmore Street, London, W1U 2BP, United Kingdom
Laments, confessions of undying love and the guilt-tinged miniatures of Brett Dean’s Gertrude Fragments take their place alongside lute works ancient and modern in this unmissable programme from Magdalena Kožená and Daniele Caminiti. Their recital’s individual parts combine to tell stories about the deepest human emotions, from abandonment and grief to the wild verbal gestures, ticks and obsessive delights of Berio’s Sequenza III for solo female voice.

Magdalena Kožená mezzo-soprano

Daniele Caminiti lute

General sale for this concert will open at 10.00am on Tuesday 27 January 2026.
