BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 PRODID:-//British Czech and Slovak Association - ECPv6.15.20//NONSGML v1.0//EN CALSCALE:GREGORIAN METHOD:PUBLISH X-WR-CALNAME:British Czech and Slovak Association X-ORIGINAL-URL:https://www.bcsa.co.uk X-WR-CALDESC:Events for British Czech and Slovak Association REFRESH-INTERVAL;VALUE=DURATION:PT1H X-Robots-Tag:noindex X-PUBLISHED-TTL:PT1H BEGIN:VTIMEZONE TZID:Europe/London BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:+0000 TZOFFSETTO:+0100 TZNAME:BST DTSTART:20180325T010000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:+0100 TZOFFSETTO:+0000 TZNAME:GMT DTSTART:20181028T010000 END:STANDARD BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:+0000 TZOFFSETTO:+0100 TZNAME:BST DTSTART:20190331T010000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:+0100 TZOFFSETTO:+0000 TZNAME:GMT DTSTART:20191027T010000 END:STANDARD BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:+0000 TZOFFSETTO:+0100 TZNAME:BST DTSTART:20200329T010000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:+0100 TZOFFSETTO:+0000 TZNAME:GMT DTSTART:20201025T010000 END:STANDARD END:VTIMEZONE BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20190618T190000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20190618T210000 DTSTAMP:20260508T192744 CREATED:20190531T174238Z LAST-MODIFIED:20190531T174238Z UID:2858-1560884400-1560891600@www.bcsa.co.uk SUMMARY:Simon Mawer: Prague Spring DESCRIPTION:The British writer Simon Mawer will talk about his latest book Prague Spring\, a complex love story set amid the drama of 1968\, and his fascination with Czech history. Mawer’s novel Mendel´s Dwarf\, inspired by Gregor Mendel\, one of the fathers of genetics and the abbot of a Brno monastery\, was followed by another Brno story\, the Man Booker Prize shortlisted The Glass Room revolving around Ludwig Mies van der Rohe’s famous Villa Tugendhat. With Prague Spring Mawer transfers his focus to Prague and the period of the Soviet-led invasion in August 1968\, once again poignantly capturing the lives of people who are caught up in the wheels of history. Chaired by David Vaughan. \nIt’s the summer of 1968\, the year of love and hate\, of Prague Spring and Cold War winter. Two English students\, Ellie and James\, have just hitchhiked their way to Prague\, where Alexander Dubcek’s ‘socialism with a human face’ is smiling on the world. Meanwhile Sam Wareham\, a first secretary at the British embassy in Prague\, is observing developments in the country with a mixture of diplomatic cynicism and a young man’s passion. Accompanied by his Czech girlfriend Lenka\, Sam finds a way into the world of Czechoslovak youth\, its hopes and its ideas. It seems that\, for the first time\, nothing is off limits behind the Iron Curtain. Yet the wheels of politics are grinding in the background. The Soviet leader\, Leonid Brezhnev is making demands of Dubcek and the Red Army is massed on the borders. How will the looming disaster affect those fragile lives caught up in the invasion? \nPrague Spring\, published in paperback by Abacus\, May 2019 \nSimon Mawer was born in 1948 in England\, and spent his childhood there\, in Cyprus and in Malta. He then moved to Italy\, where he and his family have lived for more than thirty years\, and where he taught at the British International School in Rome. Simon Mawer is the author of eleven novels and two non- fiction books\, including the Man Booker shortlisted The Glass Room\, The Girl Who Fell from the Sky and Tightrope. \nDavid Vaughan is a writer\, broadcaster\, journalist and university lecturer. His debut novel Slyšte můj hlas (2014) won the Czech Book Prize readers’ award in 2015. The book has just been published in English by Jantar Publishing as Hear My Voice. He is also author of Battle for the Airwaves (2008)\, a study of the role of the media in the run-up to WWII. For eight years he was editor-in-chief of Radio Prague and previously he was the BBC’s Prague correspondent. \nPrague Spring\n“Superbly written\, poignant and polished\, this story will haunt you” The Sunday Mirror\n“As good as anything Simon Mawer has written; which means it is very good indeed.” Allan Massie in the Scotsman \nThe Glass Room\n“…Mawer’s control of his themes of language\, desire\, memory and the power of place is extraordinary…” The Daily Telegraph.\n“…A thing of extraordinary beauty and symmetry.” The Guardian \nTickets £5 plus booking fee URL:https://www.bcsa.co.uk/event/simon-mawer-prague-spring/ LOCATION:Czech Embassy cinema\, 26 Kensington Palace Gardens\, London\, W8 4QY END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20190613T194500 DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20190613T210000 DTSTAMP:20260508T192744 CREATED:20190511T124558Z LAST-MODIFIED:20190511T124658Z UID:2797-1560455100-1560459600@www.bcsa.co.uk SUMMARY:Karol Samuelcik: Music from Europe & South America DESCRIPTION:The classical guitarist spans the Atlantic with a programme of masterworks from Central Europe to Argentina\, including Joseph Kaspar Mertz and Astor Piazzolla. \nIn his Southbank Centre debut\, Karol Samuelcik performs works by contemporary Slovak composers\, Lukas Borzik and Jevgenij Irsai\, ending the first part of the concert with Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco. \nThe second part of the programme includes South American rhythms from Piazzolla\, creator of New Tango\, and Brazilian revelation Sergio Assad\, virtuoso performer and grand composer of vivid Brazilian music. \nTickets £9.00 URL:https://www.bcsa.co.uk/event/karol-samuelcik-music-from-europe-south-america/ LOCATION:Purcell Room\, Queen Elizabeth Hall\, London\, SE1 8XX\, United Kingdom END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20190608T140000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20190608T180000 DTSTAMP:20260508T192744 CREATED:20190215T210030Z LAST-MODIFIED:20190526T163127Z UID:2527-1560002400-1560016800@www.bcsa.co.uk SUMMARY:BCSA garden party DESCRIPTION:Our summer social will be held in the gardens of the Czech and Slovak Embassies\, with their kind permission.\nAll are welcome – not just BCSA members. Bring your friends\, bring your family! Enjoy an afternoon relaxing among Slovak\, Czech and British people.\nLive entertainment will come from the popular Morena Slovak Dance Group and Pieter Magusin playing his accordion.\nChildren will be able to take part in a fancy dress competition on a theme of your choice (further details below).\nAs always\, there will be barbecued spekacky (sausages)\, a continental buffet from the Czech and Slovak National House plus cakes and desserts and a cash bar serving Czech beer and wine (free soft drinks).\nAnd don’t forget our raffle with attractive prizes for children and adults; donations are welcome\, including homemade cakes. There will be a secondhand bookstall\, offering books in Czech\, Slovak and English. It’s always a great afternoon enjoyed by all and it helps the Association’s funds. Dress code is smart casual.\nEntrance from the Czech Embassy; the nearest tube station is Notting Hill Gate. No parking is available. \nAdmission is by pre-paid ticket only: BCSA members £12.50\, non-members £16\, family (2 adults+ 2 children) £30\, full-time students £10\, children (5-12 years) £5 (infants under 5 are free). \nTickets must be bought in advance online via Eventbrite (see link below) or by booking form to arrive no later than Tuesday 4 June to BCSA Garden Party\, 24 Ferndale\, Tunbridge Wells\, Kent\, TN2 3NS. For enquiries telephone 07710 289410 or e-mail secretary@bcsa.co.uk \nWear a home or ready made costume. Entry is free. Please request an entry form with your booking\, complete and return it to secretary@bcsa.co.uk or hand it in on the day before 2.45pm when judging will take place. There will be two categories (under six years old and six to 12 years old) with a prize for the winner of each. All children who take part will be given a treat. URL:https://www.bcsa.co.uk/event/bcsa-garden-party/ LOCATION:Czech & Slovak Embassy gardens\, 26-30 Kensington Palace Gardens\, London\, W8 4QY CATEGORIES:BCSA Events ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.bcsa.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/22a-photo-credit-Michal-Hozza-Morena5383-Copy.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="BCSA":MAILTO:bcsa@bcsa.co.uk END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20190606T193000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20190606T213000 DTSTAMP:20260508T192744 CREATED:20190511T122858Z LAST-MODIFIED:20190511T122858Z UID:2790-1559849400-1559856600@www.bcsa.co.uk SUMMARY:The Emmy Destinn Young Singers Concert DESCRIPTION:Arias and songs by Dvorak\, Janacek and Smetana introduced by Veronika Hyks and performed by finalists of the 2017 Emmy Destinn Foundation Young Singers Awards. \nZita Syme soprano (1st Prize)\nErika Madi Jones soprano (Dvorak Society for Czech and Slovak Music Prize)\nSamuel Lom bass (Finalist)\nPanaretos Kyriatzidis pianist (Lady Grenfell-Baines Accompanist’s Prize) \nAn evening of Czech music at the beautiful salon of arts philanthropists Bob and Elisabeth Boas. They host musical evenings which provide performance opportunities to young artists as well as raising funds for the Nicholas Boas Charitable Trust\, which was set up to help musicians at the start of their careers. \nGeneral Information\nThe evening starts with drinks at 7pm\, and the concert begins at 7:30pm. There is a short interval and the evening will close with drinks and canapés. \nTickets\nConcert only £20\nConcert with drinks and canapés £30\n£10 discount for students and under 18s \nAll artists give their services free and the prices above payable to The Nicholas Boas Trading Co Ltd only go to covering the catering costs. Separate donations to The Nicholas Boas Charitable Trust or other charities are welcome but strictly optional. \nPlease book by email – boas22m@btinternet.com\nIf you do not have email then please phone 020 7436 0344 or write to 22 Mansfield Street\, London W1G 9NR. We do not issue tickets but you will get confirmation of your booking. URL:https://www.bcsa.co.uk/event/the-emmy-destinn-young-singers-concert/ LOCATION:22 Mansfield Street\, London\, W1G 9NR\, United Kingdom END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20190605T194500 DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20190608T210000 DTSTAMP:20260508T192744 CREATED:20190104T130535Z LAST-MODIFIED:20190104T130535Z UID:2383-1559763900-1560027600@www.bcsa.co.uk SUMMARY:The Diary of One Who Disappeared DESCRIPTION:A staging of Janacek’s song cycle in the Linbury Theatre. \nSung in Czech with English surtitles. \nThree performances on 5\, 6\, and 8 June URL:https://www.bcsa.co.uk/event/the-diary-of-one-who-disappeared/ LOCATION:Royal Opera House\, Bow Street\, London\, WC2E 9DD\, United Kingdom END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20190521T183000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20190521T203000 DTSTAMP:20260508T192744 CREATED:20190513T122603Z LAST-MODIFIED:20190513T122603Z UID:2810-1558463400-1558470600@www.bcsa.co.uk SUMMARY:World Bee Day comes to London DESCRIPTION:Czech and Slovak stands will present a range of honey-based products. \nFree admission but tickets must be booked in advance. URL:https://www.bcsa.co.uk/event/world-bee-day-comes-to-london/ LOCATION:Conway Hall\, 25 Red Lion Square\, London\, WC1R 4RL\, United Kingdom END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20190520T190000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20190520T200000 DTSTAMP:20260508T192744 CREATED:20190418T151559Z LAST-MODIFIED:20190418T151658Z UID:2743-1558378800-1558382400@www.bcsa.co.uk SUMMARY:Czechoslovak figurative sculpture DESCRIPTION:Art historian and Consultant Curator for The Franta Belsky and Irena Sedlecka Studios\, Dr Peter Cannon-Brookes leads an informal discussion on the subject of Czechoslovak figurative sculpture focussing on key examples by Franta Belsky\, Irena Sedlecká and Anita Mandl on the display at Ben Uri as part of current exhibition\, Czech Routes. \nDoors open from 6.30pm for exhibition viewing \nGeneral Admission- £10 plus VAT/ Concessions- £7 plus VAT \nTo book go to Eventbrite link below. URL:https://www.bcsa.co.uk/event/czechoslovak-figurative-sculpture/ LOCATION:Ben Uri Gallery & Museum\, 108A Boundary Road\, London\, NW8 0RH\, United Kingdom ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.bcsa.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/Belsky.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20190520T183000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20190520T203000 DTSTAMP:20260508T192744 CREATED:20190409T094527Z LAST-MODIFIED:20190409T094527Z UID:2661-1558377000-1558384200@www.bcsa.co.uk SUMMARY:Rethinking 'Democratic Backsliding' in Central & Eastern Europe DESCRIPTION:Over the past decade a consensus has emerged that democracy in CEE is sharply deteriorating\, perhaps even ‘backsliding’ into new forms of authoritarianism. Debate has\, however\, so far focused disproportionately on the two most dramatic and surprising cases: Hungary and Poland. \nIn this event contributors to a newly published edited collection seeks to inject fresh thinking into the debate on democratic deterioration in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE)\, viewing ‘democratic backsliding’ through the prism of a range of cases beyond Hungary and Poland. \nThis collection reflects on the ‘backsliding’ debate through the experience of CEE countries such as the Czech Republic\, Bulgaria\, Latvia\, and Estonia; as well as neighbouring post-communist regions such as the Western Balkans and former Soviet Union (cases such as Moldova and Ukraine)\, whose patterns of failing or partial democratisation may be newly instructive for analysing the development of CEE. \nContributors will discuss less frequently considered perspectives on ‘democratic backsliding’ in the CEE\, such as the role of oligarchisation and wealth concentration; the potential of ethnographical approaches to democracy evaluation; the trade-offs between democratic quality and democratic stability; and the long-term interplay between social movements\, state-building\, and democratisation. \nThis book was originally published as a special issue of East European Politics. \nChair/discussant \nDr Sherrill Stroschein (UCL Department of Political Science) \nPanellists \nDr Licia Cianetti (Royal Holloway) \nDr James Dawson (Coventry University) \nDr Seán Hanley (UCL-SSEES) \nDr Eleanor Knott (LSE) \nFree admission\, open to all. \nGordon House\, room 106 URL:https://www.bcsa.co.uk/event/rethinking-democratic-backsliding-in-central-eastern-europe/ LOCATION:Gordon House\, 29 Gordon Square\, London\, WC1H 0PP\, United Kingdom ORGANIZER;CN="UCL SSEES":MAILTO:ssees-events@ucl.ac.uk END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20190516T190000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20190516T200000 DTSTAMP:20260508T192744 CREATED:20190418T150921Z LAST-MODIFIED:20190427T104033Z UID:2740-1558033200-1558036800@www.bcsa.co.uk SUMMARY:Tereza Busková and Mila Fürstová in conversation with Tereza Porybná DESCRIPTION:Multidisciplinary contemporary artists Tereza Busková and Mila Fürstová discuss their fascinating and varied practices in conversation with former Director of the Czech Centre in London\, Dr Tereza Porybná using examples on display at Ben Uri as part of current exhibition\, Czech Routes. \nDoors open from 6.30pm for exhibition viewing \nGeneral Admission- £10 plus VAT/ Concessions- £7 plus VAT \nTo book go to Eventbrite link below. \nImage: Jacob Bornfriend\, Blue Grey Fishes\, Ben Uri Collection\, © Jacob Bornfriend Estate Painting URL:https://www.bcsa.co.uk/event/tereza-buskova-and-mila-furstova-in-conversation-with-tereza-porybna/ LOCATION:Ben Uri Gallery & Museum\, 108A Boundary Road\, London\, NW8 0RH\, United Kingdom END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20190515T183000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20190515T210000 DTSTAMP:20260508T192744 CREATED:20190404T133949Z LAST-MODIFIED:20190426T112655Z UID:2646-1557945000-1557954000@www.bcsa.co.uk SUMMARY:Is Slovakia the most successful state in the Visegrad Four? And what might Czechia learn? DESCRIPTION:And how does the very recent Slovak election of the country’s first female president\, liberal lawyer Zuzana Caputová\, contrast with the outcome of the Czech presidential elections? \nThese provocative questions are going to be tackled by Dr Karen Henderson\, former Senior lecturer in Politics at the University of Leicester\, who will travel specially from Slovakia (where she now lives and lectures at the University of Ss. Cyril and Methodius in Trnava and Comenius University in Bratislava) and Dr Sean Hanley Associate Professor in Politics at UCL SSEES. \nThey share a special interest in the domestic policy of Slovakia and Czechia respectively and write extensively about it. Attention will also be given to the analyses of powerful\, even if not totally dominant populist parties (Smer\, ANO) in Slovakia and Czechia and the two countries will be contrasted with Hungary and Poland. \nRegistration is free but essential via Eventbrite (see link below) or by email to bcsa@bcsa.co.uk \nLecture Room Archeology G6 \nCome and bring your friends. \nThis event has been organised with the kind cooperation of UCL SSEES. URL:https://www.bcsa.co.uk/event/is-slovakia-the-most-successful-state-in-the-visegrad-four-and-what-might-czechia-learn/ LOCATION:UCL Institute of Archaeology\, 31-34 Gordon Square\, London\, WC1H 0PY\, United Kingdom CATEGORIES:BCSA Events END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20190514T183000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20190514T203000 DTSTAMP:20260508T192744 CREATED:20190114T190822Z LAST-MODIFIED:20190114T190822Z UID:2422-1557858600-1557865800@www.bcsa.co.uk SUMMARY:The Royal Collection in 3D: Adventures of a Sculpture Cataloguer DESCRIPTION:A talk by Sir Jonathan Marsden\, which will present some of the lessons learned from working on a catalogue raisonné of European sculpture in the Royal Collection to be published by Royal Collection Trust in 2020. The catalogue will embrace some 1500 works\, ranging in date from around 1500 to the present day\, in marble\, bronze\, terracotta\, plaster and other materials. The collection contains great masterpieces by Cellini\, Adriaen de Vries\, Canova and others\, but although it is extremely well documented it has never been fully published. \nThe catalogue will throw new light on the tastes of successive monarchs\, their dealings with artists\, and their varying approaches to the art of sculpture. The creation of sculpture takes longer than work in other media\, and there is more scope for mishaps and misunder-standings along the way. \nThe talk will also present discoveries\, re-attributions and new identifications that have arisen in the course of the author’s work. \nSir Jonathan Marsden is a Former Director of the Royal Collection. \nTickets price £15 including a glass of wine.\nOnline booking: www.czechfriends.net\nTo pay at the door please notify us: events@czechfriends.net \nImage: Mars and Venus by Canova; copyright HM Queen Elizabeth II (2018) URL:https://www.bcsa.co.uk/event/the-royal-collection-in-3d-adventures-of-a-sculpture-cataloguer/ LOCATION:Czech Embassy\, 26-30 Kensington Palace Gardens\, London\, W8 4QY END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20190514T100000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20190514T120000 DTSTAMP:20260508T192744 CREATED:20190412T114044Z LAST-MODIFIED:20190412T114044Z UID:2679-1557828000-1557835200@www.bcsa.co.uk SUMMARY:Doing business in the Czech Republic DESCRIPTION:CzechInvest and the Embassy of the Czech Republic in London invite you to a business breakfast. \nThe event will focus on current opportunities and the business environment for companies who have already invested in the Czech Republic or who are considering future investment there. \nThere can’t be a better way to enjoy your morning coffee. Join us! \nAgenda\nLucie Botha\, CzechInvest UK: CzechInvest’s new FDI strategy \nTereza Matulová\, CzechInvest Prague: Investment Climate and Sourcing services \nZuzana Hetesová\, CzechInvest Prague: Financial Support for Investment Projects: Amendment on Investment Incentives Act and EU Funds for Industry 4.0 \nRadka Konecná\, Partner at Konecna&Zacha Attorneys: Structuring Investments in the Czech Republic and Usual Types of Companies for Investments \nSuccess Stories of British investors in the Czech Republic \nRSVP to lucie.botha@czechinvest.org by 7th May 2019. \nregistration from 9.30am URL:https://www.bcsa.co.uk/event/doing-business-in-the-czech-republic/ LOCATION:Czech Embassy\, 26-30 Kensington Palace Gardens\, London\, W8 4QY END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20190507T190000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20190507T210000 DTSTAMP:20260508T192744 CREATED:20190412T111917Z LAST-MODIFIED:20190412T111917Z UID:2670-1557255600-1557262800@www.bcsa.co.uk SUMMARY:Soldiering on: Czech Freedom Fighters in Great Britain 1940 -1945 DESCRIPTION:Following the 1939 occupation of Czechoslovakia and French capitulation\, more than 4\,000 Czechoslovak soldiers arrived in Britain during the summer of 1940 to fight alongside the British. Refugee filmmakers Jiri Weiss and Karel Lamac captured the faces of fellow countrymen (including those stationed at Cholmondeley Castle and the 311 Squadron Coastal Command)\, as they undertook arduous duties and domestic work such as doing the laundry\, peeling potatoes and exercising. With rare footage ranging from the life of a pilot and a briefing in the operations room to humorous takes on the peculiarities of British life\, the short films produced by the Czechoslovak Film Unit and Crown Film Unit are not only examples of the Ministry of Information pro-war propaganda but an important and unique testimony to those willing to sacrifice their lives in the fight for freedom. \nFollowing the screening of archive films Dr Toby Haggith\, Senior Curator at the Imperial War Museum London\, and Roger Darlington\, author of Night Hawk: Biography of Flight Lieutenant Karel Kuttelwascher\, D.F.C.and Bar\, the R.A.F.’s Greatest Night Intruder Ace (1985) and Karel Kuttelwascher’s son in law\, will discuss the contribution of the Czechoslovak soldiers to Britain’s war effort and the role of film propaganda. \nTickets £7 (plus booking fee) via Eventbrite link below. \nPart of Insiders/ Outsiders\, a nationwide arts festival taking place from March 2019 to March 2020 and celebrating refugees from Nazi Europe and their contribution to British culture. URL:https://www.bcsa.co.uk/event/soldiering-on-czech-freedom-fighters-in-great-britain-1940-1945/ LOCATION:Czech Embassy cinema\, 26 Kensington Palace Gardens\, London\, W8 4QY END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20190505T131500 DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20190505T153000 DTSTAMP:20260508T192744 CREATED:20190313T130359Z LAST-MODIFIED:20190313T130835Z UID:2579-1557062100-1557070200@www.bcsa.co.uk SUMMARY:Brookwood Commemorative Event DESCRIPTION:The Memorial Association for Free Czechoslovak Veterans would like to invite family\, friends and enthusiasts to join us to remember the Czech and Slovak Veterans of WWII. \nWe will be joined by representatives from the Czech and Slovak Embassies\, local dignitaries\, and Forces Associations to lay wreaths at the Czechoslovak monument. \nRefreshments after at the Trench Experience behind. We welcome children and ask you to bring photos and memorabilia so we can share your family stories to help keep their memory alive. URL:https://www.bcsa.co.uk/event/brookwood-commemorative-event/ LOCATION:Brookwood Military Cemetery\, Surrey\, GU24 0JB\, United Kingdom END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20190430T180000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20190430T200000 DTSTAMP:20260508T192744 CREATED:20190404T094425Z LAST-MODIFIED:20190404T094425Z UID:2640-1556647200-1556654400@www.bcsa.co.uk SUMMARY:Communists and their Victims DESCRIPTION:A public lecture by Professor Roman David supported by the Centre for the Study of Central Europe \nIn Communists and Their Victims (University of Pennsylvania Press\, 2018)\, Roman David identifies and examines four classes of justice measures—retributive\, reparatory\, revelatory\, and reconciliatory—to discover which\, if any\, rectified the legacy of human rights abuses committed during the communist era in the Czech Republic. \nConducting interviews\, focus groups\, and nationwide surveys between 1999 and 2015\, David looks at the impact of financial compensation and truth-sharing on victims’ healing and examines the role of retribution in the behavior and attitudes of communists and their families. \nEmphasizing the narratives of former political prisoners\, secret collaborators\, and former Communist Party members\, David tests the potential of justice measures to contribute to a shared sense of justice and their ability to overcome the class structure and ideological divides of a formerly communist regime. \nIdentifying “justice without reconciliation” as the primary factor hampering the process of overcoming the past in the Czech Republic\, Communists and Their Victims promotes a transformative theory of justice that demonstrates that justice measures\, in order to be successful\, require a degree of reconciliation. \nAll welcome\, no need to register. Room 347 \nThere will be a reception following Professor David’s lecture. \nRoman David is Professor and Head of the Department of Sociology and Social Policy at Lingnan University\, Hong Kong. He is the author of Lustration and Transitional Justice (University of Pennsylvania Press\, 2011)\, which proposed the concept of exclusive\, inclusive\, and reconciliatory systems\, and was awarded the Concept Analysis Prize by IPSA in 2012. His articles have appeared in the Journal of Conflict Resolution\, Political Psychology\, American Journal of Sociology\, and other indexed journals. He was previously a Reader in Politics at Newcastle University and held visiting positions at Oxford\, the University of the Witwatersrand\, Yale\, and Harvard. URL:https://www.bcsa.co.uk/event/communists-and-their-victims/ LOCATION:UCL SSEES\, 16 Taviton St\, London\, WC1H 0BW\, United Kingdom ORGANIZER;CN="UCL SSEES":MAILTO:ssees-events@ucl.ac.uk END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20190429T190000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20190429T200000 DTSTAMP:20260508T192744 CREATED:20190418T150125Z LAST-MODIFIED:20190418T150125Z UID:2735-1556564400-1556568000@www.bcsa.co.uk SUMMARY:Dorrit Dekk DESCRIPTION:Exile studies academic\, Dr Jana Barbora Burešová presents the work of Czechoslovak graphic designer and illustrator\, Dorrit Epstein\, also known as Dekk. \nA great admirer of the photomontagist\, John Heartfield\, Dekk often used collage in her design and advertising work for clients that included London Transport\, British Rail and the Post Office Savings Bank as well as P&O\, Penguin Books and Tatler magazine. As a designer for the 1951 Festival of Britain’s Land Travelling Exhibition she created the mural ‘British Sports and Games’\, subsequently displayed in cities across the midlands and the north of England. \nDoors open from 6.30pm for exhibition viewing. \nGeneral Admission- £10 plus VAT/ Concessions- £7 plus VAT \nTo book go to Eventbrite link below. URL:https://www.bcsa.co.uk/event/dorrit-dekk/ LOCATION:Ben Uri Gallery & Museum\, 108A Boundary Road\, London\, NW8 0RH\, United Kingdom ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.bcsa.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/dekkpO2.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20190428T150000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20190428T163000 DTSTAMP:20260508T192744 CREATED:20190402T100346Z LAST-MODIFIED:20190402T100346Z UID:2613-1556463600-1556469000@www.bcsa.co.uk SUMMARY:White Paradise + live musical accompaniment DESCRIPTION:The UK premiere of a restored box office hit from 1924 starring Anny Ondra and Karel Lamac in the role of naïve orphan Nina and escaped convict Ivan. \nIn the snowy landscape of a desolate region\, the orphan Nina (Anny Ondra) serves customers in a coaching inn\, quarrelling with its owner\, while Ivan (Karel Lamac)\, who has been jailed for embezzlement\, escapes from prison to bring medicine to his dying mother. Hiding from the pursuing police in the inn’s cellar\, Ivan meets Nina who falls for his good heart and piercing eyes and decides to help him. \nAn ingeniously written script and the involvement of Der starke Vierer (The Strong Four) – one of the most distinctive creative teams to come out of early Czechoslovak cinema: director and actor Karel Lamac\, cameraman Otto Heller\, actress Anny Ondra and screenwriter Václav Wasserman – contributed to the international success of the film and opened the doors for Lamac and Ondra. \nCzechoslovakia 1924 Dir Karel Lamac 70 min \nScreened with live musical accompaniment by Tomáš Vtípil. \n\nTickets: £12.50 /£11.50 book online via link below \nKarel Lamac (1897\, Prague\, Bohemia\, Austria-Hungary – 1952\, Hamburg\, West Germany) was a Czech film director\, actor\, screenwriter and producer. He directed over 100 films and appeared in 60 films working in Czechoslovakia\, Germany\, Holland\, Belgium\, France and England. He shot newsreels during WWI and with RAF during WWII. \nTomáš Vtípil is a Czech composer\, performer and producer who moves freely between alternative rock\, electronic\, improvised\, contemporary music and performance art. His score for White Paradise is inspired by the tradition of live music accompaniment to silent movies and combines contemporary electronics\, improvisation on piano\, violin and no-input mixing which accentuates the operetta-like characters of this melodrama as well as the darker tones of its storytelling. URL:https://www.bcsa.co.uk/event/white-paradise-live-musical-accompaniment/ LOCATION:Barbican Centre\, Silk Street\, London\, EC2Y 8DS\, United Kingdom END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20190427T193000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20190427T213000 DTSTAMP:20260508T192744 CREATED:20190402T105531Z LAST-MODIFIED:20190402T105531Z UID:2631-1556393400-1556400600@www.bcsa.co.uk SUMMARY:CTU Academic Orchestra concert – Jewels of Czech and World Music DESCRIPTION:The Czech Technical University in Prague (CTU) would like to invite you to the CTU Academic Orchestra concert JEWELS OF CZECH AND WORLD MUSIC\, which will be held at the Trinity College Chapel\, Cambridge \nThe Academic Orchestra led by conductor Jan Sramek has prepared a varied programme including both Czech and foreign songs. The soloists are Rachel Godsill (soprano)\, Simon Godsill (organ)\, Anna Michalcová (flute) and Kristof Pucejdl (flute). \nFree admission \nThe event is being held under the patronage of Mr. Libor Secka\, Ambassador of the Czech Republic in the UK\, and Mrs. Denise Waddingham\, Director of the British Council in the Czech Republic. \nRead more about the CTU Academic Orchestra here URL:https://www.bcsa.co.uk/event/ctu-academic-orchestra-concert-jewels-of-czech-and-world-music/ LOCATION:Trinity College\, Cambridge\, CB2 1TQ\,\, United Kingdom END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20190425T190000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20190425T210000 DTSTAMP:20260508T192744 CREATED:20190401T105645Z LAST-MODIFIED:20190401T105645Z UID:2607-1556218800-1556226000@www.bcsa.co.uk SUMMARY:Unbreakable: The Woman Who Defied the Nazis DESCRIPTION:Come and join us for an evening with Richard Askwith\, author of an evocative biography of Emil Zátopek\, speaking about his new book Unbreakable and Lata Brandisová\, the first and only woman to win the Grand Pardubice\, the world’s most dangerous steeplechase\, defying the Nazis in the process and winning the heart of the nation. Richard will be in conversation with Julian Wilde about the tale of courage and heartbreak\, in an age of fear and prejudice: of sexism\, class hatred\, and nationalism. \nCzechoslovakia\, October 1937. Europe’s youngest democracy is on its knees. Millions are mourning the death of the nation’s founding father\, the saintly Tomáš Masaryk. Across the border\, the Third Reich is menacing – and plotting to invade. In the Czechoslovak heartlands\, vast crowds have gathered to watch the threatened nation’s most prestigious sporting contest: the Grand Pardubice steeplechase. Notoriously dangerous\, the race is considered the ultimate test of manhood and fighting spirit. The Nazis have sent their paramilitary elite: SS officers schooled to be Hitler’s most ruthless enforcers. But there is one other contestant: a silver-haired countess riding a little golden mare… The story of Lata Brandisová (1895 – 1981) is one of the strangest and most inspiring in all sport. Born into privilege\, she spent much of her life in poverty. Modest and shy\, she refused to accept the constraints society placed on her because of her gender. Instead\, with quiet courage\, she repeatedly achieved what others said was impossible. The scandal of her first attempt to ride in Pardubice reverberated across Europe. Ten years later\, she became her nation’s figurehead in its darkest hour. \nUnbreakable is a tale of courage\, heartbreak and defiance\, in an age of prejudice and fear. In the background are forces – sexism\, class hatred\, nationalism – whose shadows darken today’s world too. In the foreground are eccentric aristocrats\, socialite spies\, daredevil jockeys – and a race so brutal that some consider merely taking part in it a sign of insanity. At its heart is a unique hero\, and a unique love affair between a woman and a horse. But equally\, Brandisová’s story maps closely the history of the Czech nation – she lives through the break-up of Austria-Hungary empire\, the foundation of Czechoslovakia and The First Republic and also the accession of Communism. \nRichard Askwith\, Unbreakable\, Yellow Jersey Press (Penguin Random House UK)\, 2019 \nTickets £5 plus booking fee via Eventbrite link below URL:https://www.bcsa.co.uk/event/unbreakable-the-woman-who-defied-the-nazis/ LOCATION:Czech Embassy cinema\, 26 Kensington Palace Gardens\, London\, W8 4QY END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20190413T133000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20190421T190000 DTSTAMP:20260508T192744 CREATED:20190308T175521Z LAST-MODIFIED:20190308T175521Z UID:2556-1555162200-1555873200@www.bcsa.co.uk SUMMARY:'Back to the future' feature film in concert DESCRIPTION:Czech National Symphony Orchestra UK tour 12-21 April \nSaturday 13 April London Royal Festival Hall 1.30pm & 7pm \nTuesday 16 April Birmingham Symphony Hall 7pm \nWednesday 17 April Nottingham Theatre Royal & Royal Concert Hall 7pm \nThursday 18 April Manchester Bridgewater Hall 7pm \nFriday 19 April Liverpool Philharmonic Hall 7pm \nSaturday 21 April Gateshead Sage 7pm \nTickets available from link below URL:https://www.bcsa.co.uk/event/back-to-the-future-feature-film-in-concert/ END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20190411T091500 DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20190411T190000 DTSTAMP:20260508T192744 CREATED:20190308T181454Z LAST-MODIFIED:20190308T181454Z UID:2561-1554974100-1555009200@www.bcsa.co.uk SUMMARY:Central European Symposium '1989 and Beyond: The New Shape of Europe' DESCRIPTION:The Fourth Central European Symposium entitled ‘1989 & Beyond: The New Shape of Europe’ will focus on three consequential periods\, looking at 1989 as a catalyst of change\, analysing the view from 2019 as a part of the European Union and further debating the future of Europe and its new perspectives. The symposium will gather academic speakers\, practitioners and experts from Austria\, the Czech Republic\, Poland\, Slovakia and the United Kingdom.\nThirty years after the events\, it is now possible and necessary to provide a historical perspective on the ruptures triggered in this decisive year\, and evaluate their significance. The speakers will reflect on a range of issues from a variety of Central European perspectives and consider how states and societies of the region fit in to Europe’s current crisis – and how they may contribute to its possible solution. The shape of the European Union is more in flux today than at any time in its history\, with the planned Brexit and negotiations for enlargement of the EU. What role will the Central European states and economies play in the new geopolitical landscape of an EU that expands eastward? \nRegistration is free but essential via Eventbrite link below \nProgramme:\n9:15-9:45 Registration\n9:45-10:15 Welcome and Introductions\n10:15-12:00 Roundtable ‘1989: Catalyst of Change’ \nDr Przemyslaw Zurawski vel Grajewski\nBarbel Strehlau\nProf Mary Heimann\nChair: Richard Bassett\n12:00-13:15 Lunch Break\n13:15-15:00 Roundtable ‘European Union – The View from 2019’\nDr Grzegorz Lewicki\nProf Jiri Priban\nZuzana Gabrizovz\nChair: Dr Jakub Benes\n15:00-15:30 Coffee\n15:30-17:15 Roundtable ‘The Future of Europe: New Perspectives’ \nDominika Cosic\nDr Erhard Busek\nEduard Kukan\nChair: Jakub Krupa\n17:15-19:15 Evening Reception at SSEES (Masaryk Senior Common Room) \nThis symposium is co-organised with the Austrian Cultural Forum London\, Embassy of the Czech Republic\, Embassy of the Republic of Poland\, and Embassy of Slovakia. \nPhoto credit: ID 25483991 © Charlieaja | Dreamstime.com URL:https://www.bcsa.co.uk/event/central-european-symposium-1989-and-beyond-the-new-shape-of-europe/ LOCATION:Bentham House\, 4-8 Endsleigh Gardens\, London\, WC1H 0EG\, United Kingdom END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20190409T193000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20190409T203000 DTSTAMP:20260508T192744 CREATED:20190130T133614Z LAST-MODIFIED:20190326T213457Z UID:2459-1554838200-1554841800@www.bcsa.co.uk SUMMARY:Settling in Britain - three experiences. DESCRIPTION:Representatives of the younger generation will share how they built a life and career in their new home. \nZdenek Kudr is a co-founder of Bohem Brewery which brews traditional Bohemian lagers in north London where he has lived for more than eight years. Before that he drove trucks across Europe and played guitar as a hobby which led to the formation of a band. \nPeter Krajnak is UK country director at Slido\, a Slovak technology company that built an interaction easy-to-use platform for meetings and events. He moved to London as one of their very first employees to help grow the business there. \nHynek Martinec is a graduate of the Academy of Fine Arts in Prague. During his studies he spent on term as an exchange student at Middlesex University. His work has been exhibited at the National Portrait Gallery and is held in the collections of the British Museum and the National Gallery\, Prague. \nImage: He Came Here To Paint This Picture\, 2015. Oil on canvas\, 150 x 250 cm\nCurtesy Parafin \nFree admission for members of the BCSA\, £5 for non-members\, full-time students free!\nRegistration is necessary for all on Eventbrite (see link below) or by e-mail to bcsa@bcsa.co.uk URL:https://www.bcsa.co.uk/event/it-can-be-done-three-experiences-of-settling-in-britain/ LOCATION:Czech Embassy\, 26-30 Kensington Palace Gardens\, London\, W8 4QY CATEGORIES:BCSA Events END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20190408T100000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20190421T173000 DTSTAMP:20260508T192744 CREATED:20190402T103503Z LAST-MODIFIED:20190402T103503Z UID:2619-1554717600-1555867800@www.bcsa.co.uk SUMMARY:Czech Routes: Selected Czechoslovakian Artists in Britain DESCRIPTION:Czech Routes is the fourth in Ben Uri’s series of exhibitions designed to highlight the contribution of émigré artists to Britain since 1900\, succeeding previous exhibitions on German\, Polish and Austrian artists (2017-18). \nFeaturing the work of 21 painters\, printmakers and sculptors\, many of whom fled to Britain as racial and political refugees from National Socialism\, Czech Routes marks the 80th anniversary of Hitler’s invasion of Czechoslovakia on 15th March 1939 (the Sudetenland\, Czechoslovakia’s northern frontier\, having already ceded to Germany on 10th October 1938). Nazi occupation resulted in mass displacement and by December 1939 nearly 12\,000 refugees from Czechoslovakia were resident in Britain\, a figure comprising 6\,000 Czechoslovaks\, 3\,000 Sudeten Germans\, 300 other Czech minorities\, 1\,000 Reich Germans and 800 Austrians. Of those registered with the Czech Refugee Trust Fund – a voluntary charitable organisation responsible for ‘refugees whose prominence in opposition to Nazism and Fascism had brought their liberty and even their lives into danger’\, and who therefore needed ‘to be rescued’- 67% were Jewish. \nPortraitist and pioneering printmaker Emil Orlik made his first trip to Britain in 1898\, however\, the majority of Czechoslovak artists exhibited\, along with Austrian expressionist Oskar Kokoschka and German photomontagist\, John Heartfield (both also featured)\, made forced journeys to the UK immediately prior to the outbreak of the Second World War. These include sculptor Anita Mandl and painter-printmaker Käthe Strenitz\, just two of the 669 Kindertransportees rescued by British humanitarian Nicholas Winton.\nAlso represented are works by subsequent generations of Czechoslovakian artists including Irena Sedlecka\, who fled her country’s totalitarian Communist regime in the 1960s\, as well as those who\, between the 1970s and 1990s\, have made the positive decision to immigrate to Britain to study and develop professionally. \nThe exhibition showcases work drawn primarily from the Ben Uri Collection alongside external loans from important private collections. Featured artists include: Franta Belsky\, Jacob Bornfriend\, Dorrit Epstein (aka Dekk)\, Frederick Feigl\, Leo Haas\, Walter Herz\, Anita Mandl\, Emil Orlik\, Irena Sedlecka\, and Walter Trier\, in addition to contemporary multidisciplinary artists Tereza Bušková\, Míla Furstová and Tereza Stehlíková. \nCurated by Nicola Baird\, Research Officer at the Ben Uri Research Unit\, the exhibition will be accompanied by a publication and programme of related talks and events. Czech Routes marks the launch of the Ben Uri Research Unit (BURU) which will embark on an extensive research programme exploring and recording the contribution of Jewish and immigrant artists to Britain since 1900. \nOpen daily from 8th – 21st April and the following 4 Mondays to the 20th May \nFREE ENTRY \nImage: Freda Salvendy\, Prague\, Ben Uri Collection\, © Freda Salvendy Estate URL:https://www.bcsa.co.uk/event/czech-routes-selected-czechoslovakian-artists-in-britain/ LOCATION:Ben Uri Gallery & Museum\, 108A Boundary Road\, London\, NW8 0RH\, United Kingdom END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20190327T183000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20190327T200000 DTSTAMP:20260508T192744 CREATED:20190302T122814Z LAST-MODIFIED:20190302T122814Z UID:2544-1553711400-1553716800@www.bcsa.co.uk SUMMARY:The Bell of Treason - the Munich Agreement and its aftermath DESCRIPTION:The Munich Agreement doomed the first Czechoslovak Republic\, paving the way for its March 1939 invasion by Nazi Germany eighty years ago. Chamberlain famously proclaimed ‘peace for our time’ on his return from the Munich conference\, while Daladier muttered: ‘the fools\, if only they knew what they are cheering’. The Czechoslovaks knew all along. As for the Germans\, they were not as united behind Hitler as is sometimes believed. P.E. Caquet\, author of the recently-published The Bell of Treason: the 1938 Munich Agreement in Czechoslovakia\, will present these differing perspectives and explain how they made possible the tragedy that was Munich. \nProfessor Caquet is a historian at the University of Cambridge\, where he completed his PhD\, and is a senior member of the Cambridge College Hughes Hall. Prior to studying at Cambridge\, Mr Caquet lived for ten years in Prague where he pursued a business career. The Bell of Treason was published by Profile Books in the UK last year and is expected to be released in the USA and the Czech Republic this year. \nTickets £5 bookable via Eventbrite link below. URL:https://www.bcsa.co.uk/event/the-bell-of-treason-the-munich-agreement-and-its-aftermath/ LOCATION:Czech Embassy cinema\, 26 Kensington Palace Gardens\, London\, W8 4QY END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20190327T180000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20190327T190000 DTSTAMP:20260508T192744 CREATED:20190113T170706Z LAST-MODIFIED:20190113T170706Z UID:2414-1553709600-1553713200@www.bcsa.co.uk SUMMARY:A Celebration of Czechoslovak Culture in Wartime Britain DESCRIPTION:‘Insiders/Outsiders’ Festival – free illustrated talk by Dr Jana Barbora Buresova \nAlthough Czechoslovakia was headline news in 1938/39\, little was known about its cultural heritage. Patriotic exiles in Britain therefore determined to preserve their cultural identity\, and to host multi-faceted events at the Czechoslovak Institute and elsewhere. The Communist-inspired Czechoslovak-British Friendship Club\, the Czechoslovak army’s SOKOL branch\, and regional clubs also played key roles within the Anglo-Czechoslovak community. \nDr Buresova is a committee member of the Research Centre for German and Austrian Exile Studies\, at the University of London. She has contributed to a number of publications\, and co-edited Exile and Gender II: Politics\, Education and the Arts (Brill\, 2017). Her book ‘Women Came Too! …’ regarding the experiences of Czechoslovak refugee women in Britain\, 1939–1950\, will be published by Peter Lang in 2019. She is currently co-authoring a work about the Czech Refugee Trust Fund. \nRoom 243 (2nd Floor)\, Senate House\, University of London \nContact: jane.lewin@sas.ac.uk (020 7862 8966) URL:https://www.bcsa.co.uk/event/a-celebration-of-czechoslovak-culture-in-wartime-britain-2/ LOCATION:Senate House\, University of London\, Malet Street\, London\, WC1E 7HU END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20190323T150000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20190323T160000 DTSTAMP:20260508T192744 CREATED:20181224T155349Z LAST-MODIFIED:20181224T155349Z UID:2335-1553353200-1553356800@www.bcsa.co.uk SUMMARY:Miro Jaros Live UK Tour DESCRIPTION:The first UK tour of Slovak singer Miro Jaros; his performance will offer children and parents the best of his work. The energetic show includes instructional songs so that playful children can learn useful things – how to care of animals\, toys\, to wash their hands and motivates children to move. \nThe concert is not suitable for children under 3 years of age and those who do not enjoy loud music. \nPlease note the performance is in Slovak. \nTickets £25 URL:https://www.bcsa.co.uk/event/miro-jaros-live-uk-tour/ LOCATION:Leicester Square Theatre\, 6 Leicester Place\, London\, WC2H 7BX\, United Kingdom END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20190322T194500 DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20190322T214500 DTSTAMP:20260508T192744 CREATED:20190212T170927Z LAST-MODIFIED:20190212T171013Z UID:2507-1553283900-1553291100@www.bcsa.co.uk SUMMARY: DESCRIPTION:This will be the first time the Three Lions have faced the Czech Republic since August 2008. \nTickets available from the website link below. URL:https://www.bcsa.co.uk/event/2507/ LOCATION:Wembley Stadium\, Empire Way\, London\, HA9 0WS\, United Kingdom END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20190319T183000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20190319T203000 DTSTAMP:20260508T192744 CREATED:20190104T120254Z LAST-MODIFIED:20190131T114215Z UID:2362-1553020200-1553027400@www.bcsa.co.uk SUMMARY:An illustrated talk on the history of Slovak music DESCRIPTION:Born in Slovakia\, Andrea Kmecova is a versatile pianist who entered the National Conservatoire of Music in Košice at the age of fourteen. She continued her musical studies at the Bratislava Academy of Music and Drama (VSMU) and then at Trinity College in London. \nFree admission for members of the BCSA\, £10 for non-members\, full-time students £5.\nRegistration is necessary for all on Eventbrite (see link below) or by e-mail to bcsa@bcsa.co.uk URL:https://www.bcsa.co.uk/event/an-illustrated-talk-on-the-history-of-slovak-music/ LOCATION:Slovak Embassy\, 25 Kensington Palace Gardens\, London\, W8 4QY\, United Kingdom CATEGORIES:BCSA Events END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20190318T193000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20190323T193000 DTSTAMP:20260508T192744 CREATED:20190210T181112Z LAST-MODIFIED:20190210T181112Z UID:2495-1552937400-1553369400@www.bcsa.co.uk SUMMARY: DESCRIPTION:University College Opera is proud to present the British première of Bedrich Smetana’s Libuše. Returning to the newly refurbished Bloomsbury Theatre\, the cast and orchestra\, composed of both professionals and students\, will be led by musical director Charles Peebles and director Cecilia Stinton. \nComposed in 1871-72\, UCO reimagines Smetana’s Bohemian queen and her medieval court in the modern-day city\, where soaring skyscrapers promise glamour and wealth at a human cost. Born into a celebrated legal dynasty\, Libuše\, having inherited her late father’s firm\, is queen of the corporate world and obliged to assert herself as its leader\, working tirelessly to expand the firm and prove herself. A quarrel between her two most-valued senior partners\, Chrudoš and St’áhlav\, throws the stability of her company into jeopardy and Libuše feels the true loneliness of being a woman at the top. Who can give her the support she needs? \nRunning time: 3 hours with interval\nSung in Czech with English surtitles \nPerformances: 18/20/22/23 March 2019 at 7.30pm \nStandard: £25\nConcessions (60+\,U18\, non-UCL students): £17\nUCL Students + Staff: £9 \nTo book tickets see website link below. URL:https://www.bcsa.co.uk/event/2495/ LOCATION:Bloomsbury Theatre\, 15 Gordon Street\, London\, WC1H 0AH\, United Kingdom END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20190314T180000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20190314T200000 DTSTAMP:20260508T192744 CREATED:20190108T105515Z LAST-MODIFIED:20190108T105515Z UID:2402-1552586400-1552593600@www.bcsa.co.uk SUMMARY:Panel Discussion: Marie Schmolka\, the Forgotten Heroine Who Saved Thousands from the Holocaust DESCRIPTION:Anna Hajkova\, Martin Smok\, Rose Holmes & Alex Maws \nMost have heard the name of Sir Nicholas Winton\, a young British stockbroker who volunteered with the British Committee for Refugees from Czechoslovakia in 1938. But humanitarian rescue of thousands of refugees\, from Austria\, Germany\, and Czechoslovakia\, was a collective effort. And more often then not\, it was led by women.\nMarie Schmolka\, a Prague Zionist who was one of the main figures of European refugee assistance on the eve of the Second World War\, was one of these leaders. She co-managed the local Refugee Committee\, was the representative of HICEM in Prague and represented Czechoslovakia at the Evian Conference in July 1938.\nThis event\, commemorating the 80th anniversary of her arrest in the first days of the occupation of Czechoslovakia\, serves to raise awareness of Schmolka’s extraordinary role and biography. The Marie Schmolka Society seeks to draw attention and encourage scholarship for topics related to the role of women social workers during the Holocaust. \nAbout the speakers:\nAnna Hajkova is associate professor of modern European continental history at the University of Warwick. Her book\, The Last Ghetto: An Everyday History of Theresienstadt\, is forthcoming with Oxford University Press. Together with Martin Smok\, she founded the Marie Schmolka Society: marieschmolka.org. \nMartin Smok is the Senior International Program Consultant of the USC Shoah Foundation. Besides authoring two major documentary film trilogies he curated several groundbreaking exhibitions examining Czechoslovak relationships with its Jews. He is currently finishing a biography of Charles Jordan\, a towering figure of the Joint Distribution Committee. \nRose Holmes is a postdoctoral researcher at Birkbeck\, University of London. She is currently working on a digital history project on the history of trafficking. She completed her PhD at the University of Sussex on humanitarian work with refugees from fascism. Her research interests are on international humanitarianism and welfare\, and she has a particular interest in digital and public history. \nAlex Maws is Head of Educational Grants and Projects for the Association of Jewish Refugees (AJR)\, Britain’s largest dedicated funder of Holocaust educational programmes. In addition\, he serves as Educational Advisor to the Holocaust Educational Trust and as a member of the UK delegation to the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA). \nFree admission\, register on Eventbrite (see link below) by 14 March URL:https://www.bcsa.co.uk/event/panel-discussion-marie-schmolka-the-forgotten-heroine-who-saved-thousands-from-the-holocaust/ LOCATION:Wiener Library\, 29 Russell Square\, London\, WC1B 5DP\, United Kingdom END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR