British Czech and Slovak Association

The Rise and Fall and Rise of Sokol, 1862-2024
2024-10-31 18:30 - 20:30 (Europe/London) | Czech Embassy cinema, 26 Kensington Palace Gardens, London, W8 4QY
Do you remember Sokol, or is it totally new to you? In the month when Czech National Day is observed, it is appropriate to (re)discover and re-evaluate Sokol, a highly patriotic movement.
Mark Dimond will give an illustrated talk on the history of Sokol since its origins in 1862. He will look at the initial development of the gymnastics movement until the First World War, highlighting the peak of its activities in the interwar period, describe its dismantling at the hands of both the Nazis and Communists and its re-emergence after 1989.
Mark has completed a DPhil thesis on the history of the Sokol movement. He worked in Prague in the early 1990s and was Baileys Brand Manager for the Czech and Slovak Republics. Mark is currently the Rector at King’s Lynn Minster.
This event will take place in person and will also be livestreamed.
BCSA members enjoy free entry but registration via the Eventbrite link below is essential.
Non-members £10, full-time students £5.
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. For more information about our fund, see https://www.bcsa.co.uk/school-support-fund/

Smetana Trio
2024-10-27 11:30 - 12:30 | Wigmore Hall, 36 Wigmore Street, London, W1U 2BP, United Kingdom
The Smetana Trio perform three Czech composers: the ensemble’s namesake’s trio (1855, revised 1857), Dvořák’s pupil and son-in-law Josef Suk’s 1902 work inspired by Julius Zeyer’s epic poem Vyšehrad and Martinů’s 1951 Third Piano Trio.
Josef Suk Elegie Op. 23
Bohuslav Martinů Piano Trio No. 3 in C
Bedřich Smetana Piano Trio in G minor Op. 15

Markéta Janoušková, violin

Jan Páleníček, cello

Jitka Čechová, piano

As part of their Residency at the Wigmore Hall, they will also perform on 6 and 16 January 2025 at 7.30pm.

Bat'a Tilbury Open Day
2024-10-12 10:00 - 16:30 | Bata Heritage Centre, East Tilbury Library, Princess Avenue, East Tilbury, Essex, RM18 8ST, United Kingdom

The Czech Connection
2024-10-08 18:30 - 20:30 | Czech Embassy cinema, 26 Kensington Palace Gardens, London, W8 4QY
An illustrated talk by Caroline Cannon-Brookes will explore a range of historic links between Britain and Bohemia and their varying impacts. Amongst the topics included will be John Wycliffe and Jan Hus; Baron Waldstein’s travels in Elizabethan England; Elizabeth Stuart, the Winter Queen; the English influence on 18th century Bohemian parks and gardens; and King Edward VII’s visits by train to Marienbad/ Mariánské Lázně.
Caroline Cannon-Brookes is an art historian, trained at the Courtauld Institute and a former lecturer in the University of Oxford, Department for Continuing Education. She has led many tours to the Czech Republic to which she is a regular visitor.
Tickets @ £15 include a glass of wine. See registration link below.
All proceeds raised go towards the care and conservation of Czech heritage.

Tribute to Czech women composers
2024-10-04 19:00 - 21:00 | Czech Embassy, 26-30 Kensington Palace Gardens, London, W8 4QY
Vítězslava Kaprálová and Geraldine Mucha (wife of Jiří Mucha) are two of the seven women composers whose work is being celebrated in a unique tribute, brought to London fresh from its premiere at the International Music Festival Český Krumlov by the talented young violinist Elizabeth Jiřičková and pianist Barbora Brabcová.
With a meticulously researched programme of rediscovery, this concert puts the remarkable women composers of Czech music centre stage and showcases their roles as sought-after virtuosos, renowned conductors, and original composers, challenging the traditional view of women as mere muses.
Enriching the landscape of Czech classical music, which is more famous for works by Smetana, Dvořák, and Janáček, while honouring the creative genius of women composers, the concert will also present the works of Jana Obrovská, Anna Houdková-Kozánková, Matylda Chrudimská, Zdenka Kendíková, and Sláva Vorlová.
Programme
Vítězslava Kaprálová: Legend Op. 3/1
Vítězslava Kaprálová: Burlesque Op. 3/2
Vítězslava Kaprálová: Elegy
Zdenka Kendíková: Dvě mazurky (Two Mazurkas)
Jana Obrovská: Autumn Preludes – 1. Allegro moderato, 2. Andante, 3. Allegro Energico, 4. Moderato
Anna Houdková-Kozánková: Lístek do Památníku (Postcard for my Scrapbook)
Geraldine Mucha: Sonata in G minor – 1. Moderato 2. Allegro 3. Andante
Sláva Vorlová: Ukolébavka a Tanec Op. 16 (Lullaby and Dance Op. 16)
Matylda Chrudimská: Touha Op. 29 (Desire Op. 29)

To register for free admission see Eventbrite link below

Škampa Quartet
2024-09-29 11:30 - 12:30 | Wigmore Hall, 36 Wigmore Street, London, W1U 2BP, United Kingdom
The Škampa Quartet are long established as favourites at the Wigmore Hall.
This leading Czech ensemble offers two works central to the repertoire: Mozart’s 1785 quartet (one of his set dedicated to Haydn) opening with a celebrated dissonance, and the second of the quartets eventually issued by the self-critical Brahms at the age of 40.
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart String Quartet No. 19 in C K465 ‘Dissonance’
Johannes Brahms String Quartet in A minor Op. 51 No. 2

Petra Brabcová, violin

Adéla Štajnochrová, violin

Martin Stupka, viola

Lukáš Polák, cello

War With The Newts
2024-09-24 19:00 - 2024-09-27 21:30 | Czech Embassy cinema, 26 Kensington Palace Gardens, London, W8 4QY
A brand new adaptation of Karel Čapek’s timeless theatre classic, adapted & directed by Kazue Horimasu.
The Great Depression, commencing in 1929, ravaged not just the USA and Europe, but the entire globe. Humanity found survival by exploiting the highly intelligent Newts. Eventually, the thriving human race became dependent on them. Yet, the Newts initiated a significant retaliation. How do we navigate this? Various nations’ desires collided. What path should the world have taken in this turbulent era?
Originally published in 1936, this work is newly revived as a warning for our times.

Adapted and directed as a dissertation project by Kazue Horimasu, an MFA Theatre Directing student at East 15 Acting School.

Performed by East 15 alumni and student actors from Czechia, the USA, the UK, China, Lithuania and Japan.

Free entry via Eventbrite reservation (see link below)

The Emil Zátopek Run
2024-09-22 11:00 - 17:00 | Linford Christie Athletic Stadium, Linford Christie Road, London, W12 0DF, United Kingdom
The Thames Valley Harriers (TVH) athletic club and the Czech Centre (CC) have the pleasure to invite you to the third London charity run, organised in the name of the brilliant Czech runner Emil Zátopek, to raise funds towards the Zátopek Athletic Fellowship supporting young athletes in Western London.
BEST RUNNER OF ALL TIME RETURNS TO LONDON

Register online via Entry4Sports by 20 September 2024
(please scroll down for the instructions on how to register)
Walk-In registrations on the day are also welcome (please register 1 hr before the start of your race)

Distance: 5k, 3k & 2k
Categories:

U11 (2k) (start at 11:00)
U13 and U15 (3k)
U17 and the Main run (5k) (start at 12:00)

Entry fee: £10/£5 (under 17s)
(All entry fees and donations will contribute towards the Zátopek Athletics Fellowship)
Open to all | Families welcome
Food, BBQ, Czech beer and other refreshments after the run
The aim of the Zátopek Athletic Fellowship is to support and ignite the sporting and personal attributes that Zátopek represented in young, talented athletes that strive to follow in his footsteps and to contribute to advancing their athletic careers.
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
After the run there will be a medal ceremony to award the winners, followed by an informal gathering at the Linford Christie Athletic Stadium. Refreshments available.
HOW TO REGISTER

Click on the following link: https://entry4sports.co.uk/#/show-entry/631
Click on Enter
If you are new to Entry4Sports you need to Register as new user
Once in the entry portal, click “add athlete” under the “athletes” tab. If the athlete is registered with England Athletics (EA), click “registered” and enter the associated EA URN (which you can find on your EA profile/account. If unregistered, click “add new” and complete First Name, Surname, Date of Birth, and Club fields (if you are not registered with any club, enter “TVH” as your Club), before clicking “save” in the bottom right corner. The athlete will then appear under the “athletes” tab in your entry portal.
Click on the athlete, then click on the tick box next to the event you wish to enter. You then must view your basket and checkout for your entry to be complete and accepted.

DIRECTIONS:
Race registration will be next to the Thames Valley Harriers clubhouse in Linford Christie Stadium, 2 minutes walk from the race start line in Wormwood Scrubs park. 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.

The Czechoslovak Kindertransport 1939
2024-09-18 12:30 - 16:30 | Czech Embassy, 26-30 Kensington Palace Gardens, London, W8 4QY
The Czech and Slovak Embassies are hosting an educational and social gathering to commemorate the 85th anniversary of the Czechoslovak Kindertransport.
This gathering is an opportunity for Czech Kinder, descendants, researchers, and the general public to come together and hear about the movement of unaccompanied children from Czechoslovakia to Britain in 1939. Descendants will be able to share their stories, experiences and ask questions.
Come and learn the fascinating details about the CZ-SK Kindertransport, new memorials, and related present-day response to the refugee crisis.
The first part is open to the general public; all welcome.
Afternoon Programme for General Public (subject to change)
Presentations
Nicholas Winton Foundation: purposes and website
The Czech Kindertransport and the Czech Refugee Trust Fund
Czech Kindertransport Memorials and Public Places
Memorial to Barbara Winton and UK Responsive Refugee Efforts
Panel Discussions
Czech Kindertransport Organizers and Rescuers
Response to the Czech Kindertransport in the Czech and Slovak Republics
Second Generation: Letters, Photos, Stolperstein and Plenary Discussion

This will be followed in the evening by a piano concert, by descendants of Kindertransportee Jiri Frank Lechner, in memory of the parents who let their children go, and a reception, from 5:30pm to around 8pm, allowing plenty of time to socialise.
To receive an invitation to the afternoon and evening programme, please register your interest on Eventbrite (see below).
Invitations will be sent out from the Embassy directly to registered individuals.
Organising Committee: Anita H. Grosz (Second Generation Network), Steve Watson and Laurence Watson (the Winton Foundation), Lady Milena Grenfell-Baines, Robin Young.

Miro Žbirka exhibition
2024-09-16 10:00 - 2024-11-07 17:00 | Slovak Embassy, 25 Kensington Palace Gardens, London, W8 4QY, United Kingdom
A unique exhibition at the Slovak Embassy in London illustrates the life and work of the legendary artist Miro Žbirka.
Come and see mementoes from his personal and professional life, listen to his songs through a silent disco and discover unpublished photos and interesting things you didn’t know about Meky!
From his first days playing on a bench in Bratislava to recording in Abbey Road – a story you have to experience. The exhibition is full of memories about his musical journey.
The exhibition will be open to the public free of charge on Tuesdays and Thursdays between 10 and 5 pm.
Please announce your visit one day in advance to emb.london@mzv.sk

Organised by Embassy of the Slovak Republic in London in cooperation with Kate Niklas Pishter Limited

Partners of the project: Petr Čech @Qubus Design Studio, Kultúra RTVS DHL Czech Centre London @Negative Film Productions, Mila Furstova Česká televize @Slovak protection association of authors and i.

Surviving Life: Jan Švankmajer
2024-09-15 18:00 - 20:00 | ICA, The Mall, St. James's, London, SW1Y 5AH, United Kingdom
Extended introduction by Gareth Evans
Eugene leads a double life – married to Milada, he also dreams of the beautiful Evgenia. Trying to swap his dreary life for a dream life, he seeks help from a psychoanalyst, who, under the disapproving gazes of Freud and Jung framed on her wall, attempts to interpret his experiences. Also featuring his jealous wife and his super-ego portrayed as a repulsive, overbearing bag lady, this icily sarcastic, surrealist collage about the dark forces of the male subconscious, combines live action with animated passages. One of Švankmajer’s most light-hearted films and a charming psychological masterpiece uses a combination of striking visuals and an endearing story of love and fantasy that will appeal to lovers of Terry Gilliam and Jan Lenica as well as admirers of his more rigorous explorations.

Jan Švankmajer, Czech Republic 2010, 104´
Cast: Václav Helšus, Klára Issová, Zuzana Kronerová
Gareth Evans is a London-based writer, editor, film / event curator and producer, host and documentary mentor.

To celebrate the 90th birthday of Jan Švankmajer, the grand master of Czech animation, the Czech Centre London has partnered with the ICA and the BFI Southbank to present a selection of his best feature films showcasing his wide range of animation skills, innovative storytelling, and unique artistic vision through screenings of “Surviving Life,” “Alice,” and “Little Otik.”

Little Otik: Jan Švankmajer
2024-09-04 20:00 - 2024-09-21 17:30 | BFI, Belvedere Road, South Bank, London, SE1 8XT, United Kingdom
Surreal Czech comedy horror featuring a log baby who develops dangerous habits.

An infertile couple living in an apartment adopt Otik, a log child. However, they soon discover it reciprocates their love in an increasingly dysfunctional and aggressive way, leaving them worrying for anyone or anything that crosses its path. Švankmajer’s live action/stop-motion tale is a darkly comic, surreal take on the Czech fairy tale Otesánek. It’s every bit as bizarre as you could hope for, and never less than a spellbinding curiosity.
Director Jan Švankmajer, Czech Republic, 2000, 131min, 35mm, English subtitles, Certificate 15
With Veronika Žilková, Jan Hartl, Kristina Adamcová
Wednesday 04 September 2024, 20:15
+ Introduction by musician and Starve Acre composer Matthew Herbert
NFT3, BFI Southbank
Buy cinema tickets for Little Otik + intro by musician and Starve Acre composer Matthew Herbert | BFI Southbank
Saturday 21 September 2024, 17:45
NFT2, BFI Southbank
Buy cinema tickets for Little Otik | BFI Southbank

Joint ticket available with either screening of Alice.
To celebrate the 90th birthday of Jan Švankmajer, the grand master of Czech animation, the Czech Centre London has partnered with the ICA and the BFI Southbank to present a selection of his best feature films showcasing his wide range of animation skills, innovative storytelling, and unique artistic vision through screenings of “Surviving Life,” “Alice,” and “Little Otik.”

Alice: Jan Švankmajer
2024-09-04 18:00 - 2024-09-21 15:00 | BFI, Belvedere Road, South Bank, London, SE1 8XT, United Kingdom
Alice in Wonderland told through the lens of Jan Švankmajer.

Young Alice watches as the stuffed rabbit in her living room smashes itself out of a display case and disappears on a journey through a garden, soon followed by the girl who drinks a potion that allows her to enter a nightmarish, dark world where nothing makes sense. Alice in Wonderland provides the source material for this incredible surreal fantasy from the Czech auteur, making his first feature film following many classic shorts produced over the previous two decades. It’s an extraordinary film – unlike anything you have ever seen before.
Dir. Jan Švankmajer, Czechoslovakia 1988, 84min, Digital, English subtitles, Certificate PG
With Kristýna Kohoutová
To celebrate the 90th birthday of Jan Švankmajer, the grand master of Czech animation, the Czech Centre London has partnered with the ICA and the BFI Southbank to present a selection of his best feature films showcasing his wide range of animation skills, innovative storytelling, and unique artistic vision through screenings of “Surviving Life,” “Alice,” and “Little Otik.”
Wednesday 04 September 2024, 18:10
NFT 3, BFI Southbank
Saturday 21 September 2024, 15:10
NFT 2, BFI Southbank

Buy cinema tickets for Alice | BFI Southbank
Joint ticket available with either screening of Little Otik (4 September / 21 September).

Janáček’s Glagolitic Mass
2024-08-28 18:30 - 21:30 | Royal Albert Hall, Kensington Gore, London, SW7 2AP, United Kingdom
For their second consecutive night at the Proms, Jakub Hrůša and the Czech Philharmonic bring to life the blazing fanfares, raw outcries and hushed humility of Leoš Janáček’s unparalleled Glagolitic Mass. Inspiration for the work struck the composer in a misty wood. ‘Its moist scent was the incense,’ he wrote. ‘I felt a cathedral grow out of the giant expanse of woods … Now I hear the voice of each arch-priest in the tenor solo, a maiden angel in the soprano – and in the choir I hear our people.’
Experience the power of Janáček’s galvanising work alongside two other Czech masterpieces, Dvořák’s fiendish Piano Concerto and a first Proms performance for the Military Sinfonietta by the tragically short-lived Vítězslava Kaprálová, a sometime pupil of Bohuslav Martinů.
Programme
Vítězslava Kaprálová Military Sinfonietta
Antonín Dvořák Piano Concerto in G minor
Leos Janáček Glagolitic Mass

Mao Fujita piano
Corinne Winters soprano

Bella Adamova mezzo-soprano

David Butt Philip tenor

Brindley Sherratt bass

Christian Schmitt organ

The City of Prague Philharmonic Choir

tickets go on sale 18 May
Broadcast live on BBC Radio 3
Image: Jakub Hrůša © Petr Chodura

Czech Philharmonic play Dvořák and Suk
2024-08-27 19:30 - 21:30 | Royal Albert Hall, Kensington Gore, London, SW7 2AP, United Kingdom
When the great Czech composer Antonín Dvořák died, his protégé and son-in-law Josef Suk wrote three movements of a symphony in his mentor’s memory. Then tragedy struck again: Suk’s wife, Dvořák’s own daughter, died too. Added to the long-breathed, lyrical symphony Suk had written came two new movements: a furious scherzo and a transcendental statement of acceptance, finding peace in the beauty and renewal of the natural world.
Celebrating the Year of Czech Music, the Czech Republic’s flagship orchestra visits the Proms for a concert that combines Suk’s monumental symphony of grief with the gorgeous Cello Concerto by his beloved father-in-law.
Programme
Dvořák Cello Concerto in B minor 40’
Suk Symphony No. 2, ‘Asrael’ 60’
Anastasia Kobekina cello
Czech Philharmonic
Jakub Hrůša conductor
tickets go on sale 18 May

Broadcast live on BBC Radio 3
Image: Jakub Hrůša © Petr Chodura

From the Homeland - grand finale
2024-07-20 18:00 - 20:00 | Christ Church Highbury, London, N5 1SA, United Kingdom
The inspiration for this year’s Islington Festival of Music and Art is the Homeland, what it means, how it is celebrated. Looking through composers’ relationships with their roots, how they take inspiration from them, either by going straight to the source, or by nostalgically diving in to their distant but strong memories.
An obvious place to start was Czech composers and we are finishing the festival with a programme entirely of Czech music.
VITĚZSLAVA KAPRÁLOVÁ – String Quartet, opus 8
LEOŠ JANÁČEK – Pohádka/A Fairytale for cello and piano
ANTONÍN DVOŘÁK – String Quartet no. 11 in C opus 61
​Francesca Barritt & Joana Ly – violins
Dan Shilladay – viola
Su-a Lee – cello
Martin André – piano

From the Homeland - opening concert
2024-07-05 19:00 - 21:00 | St Mary’s Church, Upper Streeet, London, N1 2TX, United Kingdom
The inspiration for this year’s Islington Festival of Music and Art is the Homeland, what it means, how it is celebrated. Looking through composers’ relationships with their roots, how they take inspiration from them, either by going straight to the source, or by nostalgically diving in to their distant but strong memories.
An obvious place to start was Czech composers, so we have a little “Czech Sandwich” in store for you, starting and finishing the festival with two programmes entirely of Czech music –we also celebrate the 200th anniversary of the birth of Smetana, opening the festival with his “From the Homeland”.

BEDŘICH SMETANA – Z domoviny/From the Homeland
BOHUSLAV MARTINU – Piano Trio no. 2 in d
ANTONÍN DVOŘÁK – Piano Trio in f, opus 65
Joana Ly – violin
Miguel Ángel Villeda Cerón – cello
Martin André – piano

Tereza Bušková: Hidden Mothers
2024-07-05 11:00 - 2024-09-30 17:00 | Midlands Art Centre, Cannon Hill Park, Birmingham, B12 9QH, United Kingdom
This installation features a video and objects created as part of Tereza Bušková’s project Hidden Mothers, conducted in Birmingham and London from 2019 to 2021. The project aimed to empower women, especially migrant mothers facing isolation, drawing inspiration from Victorian photography where mothers hid behind cloths while their infants were photographed.
In contemporary society motherhood’s complexities often remain hidden. Bušková aimed to bring mothers out of the margins, celebrating them through rituals and folklore from various cultures. Her project fostered new connections between the women through participatory workshops like bread and insignia making. It provided a platform for empowerment and solidarity, encouraging mothers to step out from the shadows and reclaim their importance in society.
Image: Bušková, Hidden Mothers, photograph by Carl Gibbons.
This installation is kindly supported by Arts Council England and players of People’s Postcode Lottery.

Kafka: Making of an Icon
2024-07-05 10:00 - 2024-10-27 17:00 | Weston Library, Broad Street, Oxford, OX1, United Kingdom
Kafka: Making of an Icon marks the 100th anniversary of the author’s death, celebrating not only his achievements and creativity but also how he continues to inspire new literary, theatrical and cinematic creations around the world.
This free exhibition features materials from the archives of the Bodleian Libraries, which hold the majority of Franz Kafka’s papers, including literary notebooks, drawings, diaries, letters, postcards, glossaries, and photographs. Notably, the notebooks in the archive include the original manuscripts of two of Kafka’s unfinished novels, Das Schloss (The Castle) and Der Verschollene (America), as well as a number of short stories.
Using this rich archive, the exhibition not only sets Kafka in the context of his life and times but also shows how his own experiences nourished his imagination. His notebooks show how his travels in Western Europe enabled him to practise descriptive writing, while his readings strengthened his fascination with remote spaces and made him aware of European colonialism.
This exhibition is curated by Professor Carolin Duttlinger, Co-Director of the Oxford Kafka Research Centre; Professor Katrin M. Kohl, Co-Director of the Oxford Kafka Research Centre; Professor Barry Murnane, Co-Director of the Oxford Kafka Research Centre; Dr Meindert Peters, Leverhulme Research Fellow at the Faculty of Medieval and Modern Languages; and Dr Karolina Watroba, Post-Doctoral Research Fellow at All Souls College, Oxford. It is supported by Malgorzata Czepiel, Curator of the Kafka Archive at the Bodleian Libraries
Opening hours: Mon-Sat 10 am – 5pm, Sun 11am – 4pm
Tying in with the exhibition, Bodleian Library Publishing has published Kafka: Making of an Icon (£35). The book is a collection of essays, illustrated with manuscripts, archival material, postcards Kafka wrote to family members, and family photographs, that celebrate Kafka’s achievements and creativity. It also shows how – even 100 years after his death – Kafka continues to inspire new literary, theatrical and cinematic creations around the world.

Get on the ice! Ice Hockey and Skating in Art
2024-07-05 10:00 - 2024-10-27 18:00 | Kinsky Palace, Staroměstské náměstí 1/3, Prague, Czech Republic
On the occasion of the 2024 Ice Hockey World Championship, Prague National Gallery presents an exhibition that opens up the theme of skating and hockey in visual art. Skating on frozen canals, lakes, and rivers was popular in 17th- and 18th-century Holland, and it soon spread to the Czech lands and Prague and became a common winter pastime across social classes.

By the beginning of the 20th century, people had started to play ice hockey, the first ice rinks were being built, and the sport was becoming a part of the national identity. Meanwhile, it found its way into art and, for some creators, provided a free domain for artistic experimentation.

The exhibition features a number of interesting works from private and institutional collections, as well as works by contemporary artists, some of which were created specifically for the occasion. It looks at a topic that has not yet been presented or examined in such a comprehensive way and invites the general public to explore how this sport, so fundamental for the Czechs, is reflected in art. The exhibition is accompanied by a Czech and English catalogue.

Tuesday – Sunday, closed on Monday

New Realisms: the Czechoslovak Scene 1918–1945
2024-07-05 10:00 - 2024-08-25 18:00 | Městská knihovna, Mariánské námestí 98, Praha 1, 110 00, Czech Republic
The exhibition features more than 300 works of art depicting a simple yet modern lifestyle driven by technological advancements, travel, communication, and entertainment.

The works in New Realisms, featuring well-known artists such as Karel Čapek, Josef Sudek, and Otto Gutfreund, as well as works by lesser-known painters such as Ilona Singer, depict both the joys and the downsides of life in the city and countryside. The exhibit also showcases the prescient topics of women’s emancipation, ethnic minorities, fashion, and technology via paintings, sculptures, photographs, films, and advertising.

“The exhibition is unique not only in its new perspective on the interwar era of Czechoslovakia but also in the range and composition of the works. For the very first time, realistic paintings and photographs, as well as film, sculptures, and advertising from this period, meet side by side,” said curator Anna Habánová who, together with colleagues Ivo Habán and Helena Musilová, worked for over two years on the large-scale exhibit displaying works by more than 100 artists.

The exhibition is closed on Mondays and open until 8pm on Thursdays. It is located on the second floor of the Municipal Library in Prague.
The project will be presented in a modified and expanded version in a double exhibition at the East Slovak Gallery in Košice from October 2024 to February 2025 (mainly themes such as living reality, portraiture, still life) and at the Peter Michal Bohúň Gallery in Liptovský Mikuláš (mainly the medium of photography and film with an emphasis on social aspects and propaganda).

Transmodernity - Slovak design exhibition
2024-07-04 10:00 - 2024-09-02 17:00 | Slovak Embassy, 25 Kensington Palace Gardens, London, W8 4QY, United Kingdom
A curated selection of works from the collections of the Slovak Design Museum and selected artists, representing a cross-section of Slovak design from the past 30 years. Each piece has a unique story to tell.
The exhibition will be open to the public free of charge on Tuesdays and Thursdays between 10 and 5 pm.
Interested parties are kindly requested to announce their planned visit over the summer holiday period in advance to emb.london@mzv.sk
Slovenské centrum dizajnu is the main partner of the exhibition.

Talich Quartet
2024-06-30 11:30 - 12:30 | Wigmore Hall, 36 Wigmore Street, London, W1U 2BP, United Kingdom
The Czech ensemble founded in 1964 has received many awards over the decades. Of a recording including both the Janáček quartets, International Record Review wrote, ‘The current line up…[brings] rigour and technical brilliance to these arresting and sharply contoured accounts … which seem exemplary and rank alongside many of the finest ever recorded … the playing is splendid in every way.’
Leoš Janáček

String Quartet No. 1 ‘Kreutzer Sonata’

Antonín Dvořák

String Quartet in C Op. 61

General sale for this concert will open at 10.00am on Tuesday 23 January.

Wihan Quartet
2024-06-24 19:30 - 21:30 | Wigmore Hall, 36 Wigmore Street, London, W1U 2BP, United Kingdom
Founded in 1985, the ensemble has ever since represented an authentic voice in its interpretations of Czech music. Of a CD containing two of the three works in this programme, The Strad wrote that, ‘It’s always good to hear an authentic voice in this music, especially in performances as clean as these.’
Bedřich Smetana String Quartet No. 2 in D minor

Antonín Dvořák String Quartet in F Op. 96 ‘American’

Leoš Janáček String Quartet No. 2 ‘Intimate Letters’

General sale for this concert will open at 10.00am on Tuesday 23 January.

Czech functionalism 1918-1938
2024-06-24 18:30 - 20:00 | Czech Embassy cinema, 26 Kensington Palace Gardens, London, W8 4QY
A talk by Prof. Vladimír Šlapeta.
Under the motto “catch up and overtake Europe” after the end of WWI, the newly created state – Czechoslovakia – began to build its existence. In architecture, it meant the creation of a new identity based on the tradition of pre-war Czech Cubism and inspired by Bauhaus, Le Corbusier and Dutch De Stijl, glowing with optimism and a new way of life. With three centres – Prague, Brno and Baťa´s Zlín – in which economic and architectural potential was concentrated, Czechoslovakia soon became one of the now-forgotten foci of international style, documenting a wide spectrum of various nuances of Functionalism from rationalist to aerodynamic and organic architectural concepts that represent proudly the democracy and humanism of Masaryk’s time. This phenomenon was stopped only by the Nazi occupation and later by the communist dictatorship, and today it is one of the important components of cultural discourse and heritage.

Prof. Vladimír Šlapeta studied architecture in Prague. From 1973-1991 he was director of the architectural department of the National Technical Museum in Prague and following the Velvet Revolution in 1989 he became Dean of the Faculty of Architecture in Prague and later at VUT in Brno. He was a Fulbright-Masaryk scholar at the Cooper Union in New York and is a member of the Akademie der Kunste in Berlin. He is the author of many exhibitions and books on Central European architecture of 20th century.

Price £15 including a glass of wine. To book use the Eventbrite link below.

Reserve a place at www.czechfriends/friends-eventsEnquiries: events@czechfriends.net

All proceeds raised go towards the care and conservation of Czech heritage.

Images courtesy of the lecturer. Left to right, the Roškot Theatre in Ústí nad Orlicí, the Černá růže Building on Na příkopě in Prague, the villa of Ferdinand Kremer in Hlučín.

Trio Bohémo
2024-06-20 16:00 - 17:30 | Britten Studio, Snape Maltings, Snape, Suffolk, IP17 1SP, United Kingdom
Trio Bohémo, Britten Pears Young Artist Programme alumni praised for “precision, dedication and a spark of magic”, makes its Festival debut with four attractive and contrasting works.

Judith Weir: O Viridissima
Vítězslav Novák: Piano Trio No.2 in D minor, Op.27, “Quasi una ballata”
Judith Weir: Piano Trio
Brahms: Piano Trio No.1 in B, Op.8 (

Matouš Pěruška violin
Kristina Vocetková cello
Jan Vojtek piano
Online booking for this event opens at 10:00 on 27 Jan 2024.

Manchester drinks reception
2024-06-15 17:00 - 19:00
Come and join us for an informal get together of Czechs, Slovaks and Brits who are interested in British-Czech-Slovak relations and cooperation.

You can meet interesting people and share your ideas about what you would like to see happening in your area.

Our reception is free but due to limited spaces, registration is necessary at events@bcsa.co.uk.

We look forward to seeing you in Manchester.

Pavel Haas Quartet
2024-06-09 11:30 - 12:30 | Wigmore Hall, 36 Wigmore Street, London, W1U 2BP, United Kingdom
Two of the most popular works in the entire quartet repertoire brought together in a celebration of Czech music by a Czech ensemble. Smetana’s autobiographical example heard alongside Janáček’s second quartet inspired by his long and spiritual friendship with Kamila Stösslová.
Bedřich Smetana
String Quartet No. 1 in E minor ‘From my life’

Leoš Janáček

String Quartet No. 2 ‘Intimate Letters’

General sale for this concert will open at 10.00am on Tuesday 23 January.

BCSA/CBCC Garden Party - sold out!
2024-06-08 14:00 - 18:00 | Slovak Embassy, 25 Kensington Palace Gardens, London, W8 4QY, United Kingdom
Our summer social will once again be held in the gardens of the Slovak and Czech 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.

The ticket price includes traditional chlebíčky (open-faced sandwiches), chicken řízek (schnitzel) both with a vegetarian option, and Czech style potato salad followed by apple strudel. Non-alcoholic drinks are included in the price and one Martina Czech-style lager brewed by Bohem Brewery in London, kindly donated by Zdeněk Kudr.

A cash bar will offer Moravian wine supplied by Wines of Bohemia and more Martina lager.

Live entertainment will be provided by folklore ensemble Květ and Kvítek from the Czech and Slovak school Okénko.

There will also be a raffle and a children’s art and literary competition.

Top raffle prizes include a two-night stay for two in the High Tatras (Hotel Hills or Horizont Resort) or Ensana Spa Hotels in Piešt’any (Thermia Palace) or Mariánské Lázně (Nové Lázně)

Admission by pre-paid tickets only (including children)Closing date: 5 June 2023£24.00 BCSA members£26.00 non-members£20.00 full-time students£12.00 children aged 5-15 yearsfree for children under 5 years(booking required)There is limited capacity, so book early to avoid disappointment see Eventbrite link below

The lives & works of four Czech/Slovak émigré artists in Britain
2024-05-14 18:30 - 20:30 | Czech Embassy cinema, 26 Kensington Palace Gardens, London, W8 4QY
Sarah MacDougall explores the contrasting lives, careers and legacy of four artists of Czech-Jewish heritage – Fred Feigl, Hella Guth, Ernst Neuschul and Freda Salvendy. The majority are represented in the Ben Uri Collection. This event will also be livestreamed.
On the eve of the Second World War, fearing Nazi persecution, they fled from Prague to Britain. Fred Feigl and Hella Guth, settled in London; Ernest Neuschul initially found refuge in Wales and Freda Salvendy made her home in Cornwall
Despite their geographical divergence, all benefitted from wartime refugee cultural support in London from bodies including the Czechoslovak Institute, the Czech Refugee Trust Fund, and the Free German League of Culture, under whose auspices the First Group Exhibition of German, Austrian, Czechoslovakian Painters and Sculptors was held at the Wertheim Gallery in 1939.

Sarah MacDougall is Director of Scholarship at Ben Uri Gallery and Museum. She heads the collection and exhibitions programme focusing on the Jewish, refugee and wider immigrant contribution to British visual culture since 1900 and has lectured and published widely on this subject. She is a committee member of the German and Austrian Research Centre for Exile Studies at the University of London.

Booking is essential via Eventbrite to attend in person or receive the online link (see below)
BCSA subscription members enjoy free entry. Non-members £10, full-time students £5.

Light refreshments will be served following the talk.
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. For more information, see https://www.bcsa.co.uk/school-support-fund/

Prague, c. 1938, watercolour by Freda Salvendy. Image: Ben Uri Collection © The Estate of Freda Salvendy.
