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:20170326T010000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:+0100 TZOFFSETTO:+0000 TZNAME:GMT DTSTART:20171029T010000 END:STANDARD 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 END:VTIMEZONE BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20181107T183000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20181107T210000 DTSTAMP:20260509T135651 CREATED:20181027T103345Z LAST-MODIFIED:20181027T103345Z UID:2252-1541615400-1541624400@www.bcsa.co.uk SUMMARY:Book launch – Blood\, White and Blue DESCRIPTION:Urbane Publications invites you to the launch of Blood\, White and Blue. \nAll are welcome. \nJoin the author James Silvester\, as he presents the first in a new series of books featuring Lucie Musilova. A half Czech spy\, Lucie fights for a country that hates her as the spectre of Brexit looms. \nJames is the author of the ‘Prague Thrillers’ series – Escape to Perdition and The Prague Ultimatum. \nPlease RSVP Matthew Smith matthew@urbanepublications.com URL:https://www.bcsa.co.uk/event/book-launch-blood-white-and-blue/ LOCATION:Meditatio Centre\, St Mark’s Church\, Myddleton Square\, London\, EC1R 1XX\, United Kingdom END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20181102T183000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20181104T200000 DTSTAMP:20260509T135651 CREATED:20181008T152753Z LAST-MODIFIED:20181022T152734Z UID:2174-1541183400-1541361600@www.bcsa.co.uk SUMMARY:Made in Prague Film Festival DESCRIPTION:Friday 2 November \n6.30pm President Blaník \n8.20pm Barefoot plus Q&A with Zdeněk & Jan Svěrák \nSaturday 3 November \n4.00pm The White World According To Daliborek \n6.30pm Insects \n8.30pm Bear With Us plus Q&A with Tomas Pavlicek & Ivana Chylkova \nSunday 4 November \n2.00pm Angel of the Lord 2 in Czech only plus workshop for children \n4.15pm Cervena \n6.05pm Winter Flies \n8.00pm The Interpreter plus Q&A with Martin Sulik URL:https://www.bcsa.co.uk/event/made-in-prague-film-festival/ LOCATION:Regent Street Cinema\, 307 Regent Street\, London\, W1B 2HW END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20181030T190000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20181030T210000 DTSTAMP:20260509T135651 CREATED:20181012T121911Z LAST-MODIFIED:20181012T121911Z UID:2194-1540926000-1540933200@www.bcsa.co.uk SUMMARY:The Birth of Czechoslovakia: Myth and Reality DESCRIPTION:Exactly 100 years ago\, at the end of the First World War\, a new state of Czechoslovakia was created in central Europe. For many this ‘national state’ of Czechs and Slovaks was a dream come true: it gave rise to the myth that the next twenty years were a golden age of Czech history. But how true was this? How stable or viable was the first Czechoslovak state? Did problems lie in the very way it was created out of war? \nThis lively panel discussion\, involving four historians\, will unpick the myths in order to understand the genesis of Czechoslovakia\, the hopes and fears that accompanied its formation\, and the tensions which faced the Czech and Slovak leaders from the very beginning. \n“The idea of nationalism [is] the realization of the principles of democracy\, not as regards the individual but as regards the nation as a whole”\nEdvard Benes\, “The Problem of the Small Nations after the World War\,” The Slavonic Review 4:11 (Dec. 1925) \nWith Etienne Boisserie\, Jana Osterkamp and Jakub Benes; chaired by Professor Mark Cornwall \n\nEtienne Boisserie is Professor of Central European modern and contemporary history at the National Institue for Eastern Languages and Civilizations (Inalco\, Paris). He also teaches modern Slovak and Czech history. He is the author of several studies of Slovak history at the end of the 19th and during the first half of the 20th century. His latest research deals with Czech Lands and Slovak counties during WW1 and he has recently published “The Czechs in Austria-Hungary at War”. \nJana Osterkamp is a historian and legal scholar. In the last academic year she was Chair of East European History at the LMU Munich and since 2012 she has been the director of the “Emmy Noether” junior research group “Ordering Diversity. Concepts of Federalism in the Austro-Hungarian Empire and its Successor States“. She previously focused mainly on modern history in East and Central Europe\, and the constitutional\, legal and contemporary history of Czechoslovakia and the Czech Republic. She was also among the principal investigators in the international graduate programme “Religious Cultures in Nineteenth and Twentieth-Century Europe” in Munich\, Prague and Poznan. Her current research encompasses a larger study of the history of federalism in the Habsburg Empire in the long 19th century. \nJakub Benes teaches modern European history at the University of Birmingham. He is author of the award-winning monograph Workers and Nationalism: Czech and German Social Democracy in Habsburg Austria\, 1890-1918 in which he outlines the influence of the phenomenon of nationalism on workers’ movements since the end of the 19th century. He is interested in topics in modern east central European history and his current research focuses on peasants’ revolts and peasant movements in twentieth-century Europe. \nA professor of Modern European History at the University of Southampton\, Mark Cornwall is one of the UK’s leading experts on modern Czech history. He has written extensively about twentieth-century Czechoslovakia including the ‘Sudeten question’. Until recently he was also chair of the UK Forum of Czech and Slovak Studies\, aiming to promote British academic research on Central Europe. \nAccompanied by screening some rare archival footage of Prague on 28 October 1918. \nTickets £7.92 book online via Eventbrite link below. URL:https://www.bcsa.co.uk/event/the-birth-of-czechoslovakia-myth-and-reality/ LOCATION:Czech Embassy\, 26-30 Kensington Palace Gardens\, London\, W8 4QY END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20181028T153000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20181028T173000 DTSTAMP:20260509T135651 CREATED:20180810T180712Z LAST-MODIFIED:20180810T180712Z UID:2047-1540740600-1540747800@www.bcsa.co.uk SUMMARY:St. Wenceslas: silent film with live musical accompaniment DESCRIPTION:A landmark in Czech cinema\, this historical epic is the only film to attempt to reveal the life of the country’s patron saint.\nA milestone in Czech cinema history\, this silent epic made in 1929 was the most expensive Czech film at that time\, with the largest set constructed in Europe to accommodate a cast of over 100\, together with 1\,000 extras for the lavish battle scenes.\nIts team of cinematographers included Jan Stallich (Ecstasy) and Otto Heller\, who later worked with Max Ophuls and Laurence Olivier\, as well as Michael Caine on The Ipcress File and Alfie. Recalling the work of Griffith and Fritz Lang\, Jan S. Kolár’s vast\, ambitious production tells the 10th century legend of Václav\, Duke of Bohemia (St Wenceslas) who successfully defeated his enemies but was murdered by his own brother. Václav became the patron saint of Czechoslovakia; a famous statue of him at the top of Wenceslas Square in Prague is a national rallying pint. \nAccompanied by vocal artists and musicians from Cappella Mariana\, a Prague-based early music ensemble specialising in medieval polyphony\, this rare and precious screening provides a magnificent celebration of the 100th anniversary of Czechoslovakia. \nTickets £12.50 from event website link below URL:https://www.bcsa.co.uk/event/st-wenceslas-silent-film-with-live-musical-accompaniment/ LOCATION:Barbican Centre\, Silk Street\, London\, EC2Y 8DS\, United Kingdom END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20181017T183000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20181017T203000 DTSTAMP:20260509T135651 CREATED:20180831T112859Z LAST-MODIFIED:20181008T143117Z UID:2116-1539801000-1539808200@www.bcsa.co.uk SUMMARY:T.G. Masaryk: a reflection by his great-granddaughter DESCRIPTION:THIS IS EVENT IS NOW SOLD OUT! \nCharlotta Kotik will speak about his involvement in the foundation of Czechoslovakia and his attitude towards Slovakia. \nTomas Garrigue Masaryk (TGM) remains an icon of the first Czechoslovak republic as its president from 1918 to 1935. The BCSA is honoured that his closest living relative has accepted our invitation to mark the centenary of Czechoslovakia. The event has been organised with the kind cooperation of the Czech and Slovak Embassies. \nCharlotta Kotik grew up in communist Prague at a time when her great-grandfather’s surname and image was vilified by the regime. Her mother\, Herberta\, was the daughter of TGM’s eldest son Herbert; she was named after her great-grandmother\, Charlotte. However her first name had too much symbolism so is was changed to Karla by the authorities. This family heritage also restricted her education but eventually she managed to complete a degree in art history at Charles University in 1968 at the same time as working full-time at the National Gallery. \nIn 1970 Charlotta emigrated to the United States where she worked at an art gallery in Buffalo until 1983 when she moved to the Brooklyn Museum\, becoming head of the department of contemporary art until 2007. Today she spends time in her native country where she lectures and participates in an award for young artists as well as visiting her grandchildren who live in Prague. \n  \nIllustration: President T.G.Masaryk painted in Lany and Topolcianky 1927-30 by Frantisek Hornik URL:https://www.bcsa.co.uk/event/t-g-masaryk-a-reflection-by-his-great-granddaughter/ LOCATION:Slovak Embassy\, 25 Kensington Palace Gardens\, London\, W8 4QY\, United Kingdom CATEGORIES:BCSA Events END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20181015T210000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20181017T130000 DTSTAMP:20260509T135651 CREATED:20180831T152612Z LAST-MODIFIED:20180831T152612Z UID:2122-1539637200-1539781200@www.bcsa.co.uk SUMMARY:Winter Flies (Vsechno bude) DESCRIPTION:Two teenagers embark on a quixotic journey in a stolen car across the Czech Republic in Olmo Omerzu’s bittersweet take on the road movie genre. \nTwo showings as part of the BFI London Film Festival: \nMonday 15 October\, ICA Cinema at 21.00 \nWednesday 17 October\, BFI Southbank at 11.30 \nTickets on sale from 13 September \n  \n  URL:https://www.bcsa.co.uk/event/winter-flies-vsechno-bude/ END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20181013T193000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20181013T213000 DTSTAMP:20260509T135651 CREATED:20180804T144724Z LAST-MODIFIED:20180807T091635Z UID:2014-1539459000-1539466200@www.bcsa.co.uk SUMMARY:Smetana 'Ma Vlast' DESCRIPTION:A complete performance by the West London Sinfonia of six symphonic poems composed between 1874 and 1879  by the Czech composer Bedrich Smetana to commemorate the 100th anniversary of Czechoslovak independence in October 1918. \nTickets £14\, concessions £12\, child/student £5. Buy on the door or online from the link below. \n  URL:https://www.bcsa.co.uk/event/smetana-ma-vlast/ LOCATION:St Michael & All Angels Church\, Bath Road\, Bedford Park\, London\, W4 1TT\, United Kingdom END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20181009T183000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20181009T203000 DTSTAMP:20260509T135651 CREATED:20180826T113559Z LAST-MODIFIED:20180826T113559Z UID:2107-1539109800-1539117000@www.bcsa.co.uk SUMMARY:A Celebration of Czechoslovak Culture in Wartime Britain DESCRIPTION:An illustrated talk by Jana Buresova \nCzechoslovakia was headline news in 1938/39\, yet little was known about its cultural heritage. Patriotic exiles in Britain determined to remedy this through multi-faceted entities such as the Czechoslovak Institute\, graced by Queen Elizabeth\, Queen consort\, who attended an exhibition of Wenceslaus Hollar’s engravings. It also hosted contemporary artists such as Friedrich Feigl\, Marie-Louise von Motieczky\, sculptor Mary Duras and musicians including Vilem Tausky. But the Communist-inspired Czechoslovak-British Friendship Club\, the Czechoslovak Army’s Sokol branch\, and regional clubs played a vital role too. \nTickets £15\, including a glass of wine\, available online from www.czech friends.net or to reserve a place email events@czechfriends.net \nImages: camouflage background courtesy of MOD (photograph by Amanda Reynolds); St Paul’s Cathedral London on fire by Wenceslaus Hollar; image of Sokol Exhibition in London\, October-November 1943. URL:https://www.bcsa.co.uk/event/a-celebration-of-czechoslovak-culture-in-wartime-britain/ LOCATION:Czech Embassy\, 26-30 Kensington Palace Gardens\, London\, W8 4QY ORGANIZER;CN="Friends of Czech Heritage":MAILTO:info@czechfriends.net END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20181008T100000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20181012T180000 DTSTAMP:20260509T135651 CREATED:20180706T141912Z LAST-MODIFIED:20181007T190647Z UID:1867-1538992800-1539367200@www.bcsa.co.uk SUMMARY:Mini Wonders - Czech Toys Past and Present DESCRIPTION:From Fatra to Merkur\, Czech toys have a long and successful history both in their homeland and abroad. The early 20th century saw their story begin\, and it has been intensively explored and developed since then. Drawing attention to unique Czech craftmanship\, the “Mini Wonders” exhibition presents modern toy design as well as designs dating back almost a hundred years. \nSince the first design was born in 1920\, Czech toys have made a name for themselves internationally. They saw an unprecedented success at the Expo 1958 in Brussels\, where Czechoslovakia showcased an exhibition focused on the world of children created by artist Jirí Trnka and toy makers Viktor Fixl and Václav Kubát. \nMore recently\, interest in Czech toys was renewed thanks to Libuše Niklová’s 2011 retrospective “Plastique ludique” at the Musée des arts décoratifs in Paris\, followed by the 2012 Museum of Modern Art exhibition “Century of the Child: Growing by Design 1900–2000” in New York\, which also featured toys by renowned Czech designers. \nToday a young generation of designers and illustrators keeps the tradition of Czech toys alive while giving them a fresh look. They present an opportunity for designers to express their imagination\, extend their creative borders and fulfil their potential. \nThe exhibition includes metal construction sets by Merkur\, a wooden balance bike by Re Pello\, inflatable plastic toys by Fatra (featuring award-winning designers Libuše Niklová \, Zuzana Lednická\, Anna Kozová and Jerry Koza)\, and magnetic wooden puzzles by Detoa. A wonderful experience indeed! \nVitrinka Gallery\nOpening hours from 24 Sep – 12 Oct: Mon-Fri: 10 am – 6 pm URL:https://www.bcsa.co.uk/event/mini-wonders-czech-toys-past-and-present/ LOCATION:Czech Centre\, 30 Kensington Palace Gardens\, London\, W8 4QY\, United Kingdom END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20181006T174500 DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20181006T200000 DTSTAMP:20260509T135651 CREATED:20180828T180511Z LAST-MODIFIED:20180828T180511Z UID:2111-1538847900-1538856000@www.bcsa.co.uk SUMMARY:Lost in Munich: screening & panel discussion DESCRIPTION:A witty farce about the French prime minister’s parrot\, a witness to the Munich Conference\, who reveals its secrets decades later\, wounded national pride and the perils of filmmaking. \nSir P\, a 90-year-old parrot who once belonged to the French prime minister responsible for signing the 1938 Munich Agreement which forced Czechoslovakia to cede much of its borders to Germany\, finds himself at a press conference in Prague as a living relic of the time. Repeating the controversial statements of his former owner\, Sir P gets kidnapped by Pavel\, a disgraced Czech journalist\, who uses the bird to revive his own career and failed marriage\, causing a diplomatic scandal. \nStarting as a light-hearted absurdist comedy the film switches to a mockumentary about the filming of the Czech-French co-production which is plagued with problems not least of which is the lack of money\, the principal actor’s allergy to the feathered star and a disgruntled crew developing new theories about the 1938 event and provocative generalizations about the Czech national character. Part irreverent history lesson and part movie business satire this is a witty\, multi-layered farce by Petr Zelenka with an engagingly cynical humour which cuts across national borders. \nFollowed by a debate ‘Munich\, Tragic Myth or Diplomatic Victory?’ with Vit Smetana\, Institute of Contemporary History\, Czech Academy of Sciences\, and historian Peter Neville\, author of Hitler and Appeasement: The British Attempt To Prevent the Second World War\, and Eduard Benes and Tomas Masaryk. Makers of the Modern World. \nTickets £14.10 adult £13.0 student/retired £7.70 child\, available from link below URL:https://www.bcsa.co.uk/event/lost-in-munich-screening-panel-discussion/ LOCATION:Gate Picturehouse\, 87 Notting Hill Gate\, London\, W11 3JZ END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20181003T180000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20181003T210000 DTSTAMP:20260509T135651 CREATED:20180728T132455Z LAST-MODIFIED:20180803T115906Z UID:1950-1538589600-1538600400@www.bcsa.co.uk SUMMARY:Cultural and History Quiz DESCRIPTION:Idiom\, a column of 8\,000 books in the vestibule of Prague Municipal Library created in 1998 by Slovak artist Matej Kren \n  \n  \nThe BCSA is organising a novel event that will take place at the Czechoslovak National House in West Hampstead. \nCome and pit your wits in teams of up to eight with Slovaks\, Czechs and Brits! If you don’t have a team\, we’ll do our best to put you in one. \nOur experienced quiz masters\, Simon and Nichola\, will prepare questions based on Czech\, Slovak and British history and culture. \nWe really hope you can join us for what should be a fun\, friendly occasion. \nTickets £12.50 on sale via the Eventbrite link below and include a pre-ordered traditional Czech/Slovak meal (chicken/pork schnitzel or fried cheese). URL:https://www.bcsa.co.uk/event/cultural-and-history-quiz/ LOCATION:Czechoslovak National House\, 74 West End Lane\, London\, NW6 2LX\, United Kingdom CATEGORIES:BCSA Events ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.bcsa.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/quiz-image.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20180927T190000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20180927T210000 DTSTAMP:20260509T135651 CREATED:20180909T133442Z LAST-MODIFIED:20181001T100506Z UID:2131-1538074800-1538082000@www.bcsa.co.uk SUMMARY:The battle on the radio waves: the new media of the 1930s and the Sudeten crisis DESCRIPTION:International diplomacy stopped working.  A new breed of authoritarian ruler emerged\, contemptuous of the rules of diplomacy and collective security\, and willing to lie and bully to build power and influence.  Europe’s democracies were confused and defensive.  It is 1938 and Germany is putting pressure on Czechoslovakia. Join David Vaughan and Michael Tate in a discussion of the use and abuse of radio\, the new media of the 1930s. \nDavid Vaughan is a writer and broadcaster. His second book\, Hear My Voice is set in the tense atmosphere of Central Europe on the eve of WWII.  A former BBC Prague correspondent\, David Vaughan was editor-in-chief of the international service of Czech Radio for eight years. He studied Modern Languages (French and German) at Balliol College\, Oxford and is also fluent in Czech\, having lived in Prague since 1991.  Hear My Voice was originally commissioned as a play for Czech Radio\, and was then turned into a book which was awarded the Czech Book readers’ prize in 2015. URL:https://www.bcsa.co.uk/event/the-battle-on-the-radio-waves-the-new-media-of-the-1930s-and-the-sudeten-crisis/ LOCATION:School of Slavonic & East European Studies\, 16 Taviton Street\, London\, WC1H 0BW ORGANIZER;CN="UCL SSEES":MAILTO:b.posluch@ucl.ac.uk END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20180925T193000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20180925T213000 DTSTAMP:20260509T135651 CREATED:20180707T131610Z LAST-MODIFIED:20180707T131610Z UID:1886-1537903800-1537911000@www.bcsa.co.uk SUMMARY:Pavel Haas Quartet: Schubert and Dvorak DESCRIPTION:Schubert’s single quartet movement is a heartfelt fragment\, while the troubled ‘Rosamunde’ quartet’s slow movement borrows a well-known theme from some incidental music. Conversely\, Dvorak transferred a memorable theme from his final quartet to his symphonic poem A Hero’s Song. \nFranz Schubert: String Quartet in A minor D804 ‘Rosamunde’ \nAntonin Dvorak: String Quartet No. 14 in A flat Op. 105 \nTickets £40 £35 £30 £25 £18\nBookings are subject to a £3 booking fee. This fee covers the whole booking and is not per ticket. URL:https://www.bcsa.co.uk/event/pavel-haas-quartet-schubert-and-dvorak/ LOCATION:Wigmore Hall\, 36 Wigmore Street\, London\, W1U 2BP\, United Kingdom END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20180919T183000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20180919T210000 DTSTAMP:20260509T135651 CREATED:20180802T171012Z LAST-MODIFIED:20180802T171812Z UID:1984-1537381800-1537390800@www.bcsa.co.uk SUMMARY:Total Works of Arts: Hotel Praha and Czechoslovak Architecture 1945-1989 DESCRIPTION:Curator Adam Stech of the Czech creative collective OKOLO will talk about the communist era Hotel Praha in Prague\, demolished in 2014. Focusing on the strong design legacy and the phenomenon known as “total work of art” (Gesamtkunstwerk)\, where architecture\, design and art became one all-embracing art concept\, Stech will present several other projects by leading Czech architects and designers\, working between 1945 and 1989. Taking place in the iconic brutalist building of the Slovak Embassy\, visitors will have a unique chance to truly immerse themselves in this fascinating cultural heritage. \nBuilt over six years\, Hotel Praha made use of the latest technology\, materials and interiors and with a seemingly bottomless budget it became the most luxurious hotel within the Czechoslovak Socialist Republic\, an architectural symbol of late communist rule used almost exclusively by the party. Leading architects and designers were invited to take part: Jaroslav Paroubek\, Arnost Navratil\, Radek Cerny and Jan Sedlacek were enlisted for this complex architectural commission. Zbynek Hrivnac\, an interior and furniture designer prepared interior concepts and ideas to implement large unique artworks from a line-up of prolific artists such as Rene Roubicek\, Stanislav Libensky\, Stanislav Kolibal or Karel Nepras. After the collapse of the communist regime in Czechoslovakia\, the hotel was transferred into a state-owned commercial five star hotel\, and was eventually torn down in 2014. \nPrior to demolition some of the pieces were rescued by private collectors and museums. A collection of these pieces are part of the exhibition ‘Hotel Praha’ by Sigmar\, London and OKOLO\, Prague as part of the Brompton Design District programme ‘Material Consequences’ curated by Jane Withers Studio\, during the London Design Festival\, 15 – 23 September 2018. \nFree admission. Register through Eventbrite link below. \n  URL:https://www.bcsa.co.uk/event/total-works-of-arts-hotel-praha-and-czechoslovak-architecture-1945-1989/ LOCATION:Slovak Embassy\, 25 Kensington Palace Gardens\, London\, W8 4QY\, United Kingdom END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20180918T183000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20180918T203000 DTSTAMP:20260509T135651 CREATED:20180713T180521Z LAST-MODIFIED:20180813T092007Z UID:1902-1537295400-1537302600@www.bcsa.co.uk SUMMARY:A secret guide to Prague's fashion scene DESCRIPTION:Czech fashion is slowly but surely making its way to national and international recognition. Czech designers are showcasing their collections at fashion weeks around the globe; some of them are working for the world’s most prestigious brands. \nSo where can one purchase some of this original work and is it actually wearable? \nTereza Porybna\, director of Czech Centre London and lover of small independent fashion brands\, will offer her own virtual tour of Prague’s fashion scene with particular tips and images proving that fashion can be art. \nAdmission: free for members of the BCSA\, non-members £10.00\, full-time students £5.00 \nRegistration is necessary for all via Eventbrite (see link below) or by email to bcsa@bcsa.co.uk \nDoors open at 6.00pm \nLight refreshments will be served URL:https://www.bcsa.co.uk/event/a-secret-guide-to-pragues-fashion-scene/ LOCATION:Czech Embassy cinema\, 26 Kensington Palace Gardens\, London\, W8 4QY CATEGORIES:BCSA Events END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20180916T113000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20180916T123000 DTSTAMP:20260509T135651 CREATED:20180707T125737Z LAST-MODIFIED:20180707T125737Z UID:1879-1537097400-1537101000@www.bcsa.co.uk SUMMARY:Wihan Quartet: Schulhoff and Schubert DESCRIPTION:Decades after his death in a concentration camp in 1942\, Ervín Schulhoff’s output is steadily gaining recognition\, including his sharp-edged but entertaining suite of character pieces evoking the waltz\, tango and tarantella\, paired here with Schubert’s death haunted masterpiece. \nErvín Schulhoff: 5 Pieces for String Quartet\nFranz Schubert: String Quartet in D minor D810 ‘Death and the Maiden’ \n£16 concessions £14 includes programme and coffee/sherry/juice.\nTicket bookings are subject to a £3 booking fee. This fee covers the whole booking and is not per ticket. \nThis concert will be approximately 1 hour in duration\, without an interval URL:https://www.bcsa.co.uk/event/wihan-quartet-schulhoff-and-schubert/ LOCATION:Wigmore Hall\, 36 Wigmore Street\, London\, W1U 2BP\, United Kingdom END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20180908T163000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20180908T180000 DTSTAMP:20260509T135651 CREATED:20180804T140600Z LAST-MODIFIED:20180804T140600Z UID:2000-1536424200-1536429600@www.bcsa.co.uk SUMMARY:Breaking News DESCRIPTION:In March last year\, the president of the Czech Republic was preparing to announce whether or not he would be running for re-election\, and the press were ready to cover his decision. The announcement\, however\, was to be made at a private event at Prague Castle and no reporters were to be admitted. \nFilmmaker Tomas Bojar takes us inside two newsrooms in Prague as their teams race to be the first to break the story. Breaking News is a compelling\, entertaining and carefully composed observational look at journalism\, “objective” reporting and the cycle of news production in the modern age. \nAn international premiere as part of the Open City Documentary Festival followed by Q&A with the director. \nTickets: £12.50 / £10 concessions available online from link below. \n  URL:https://www.bcsa.co.uk/event/breaking-news/ LOCATION:Curzon Bloomsbury\, The Brunswick Centre\, London\, WC1N 1AW\, United Kingdom END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20180901T100000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20180908T180000 DTSTAMP:20260509T135651 CREATED:20180807T092959Z LAST-MODIFIED:20180909T133913Z UID:2029-1535796000-1536429600@www.bcsa.co.uk SUMMARY:Koudelka: Invasion1968 & archival footage by Jan Nemec DESCRIPTION:The National Gallery in Prague is exhibiting photographs by Josef Koudelka of the incursion of the Warsaw Pact troops into Prague\, a catastrophe that had a major impact on the fate of the country’s inhabitants. Although he had never engaged in reportage\, the pictures he took during several dramatic days in August 1968 have become a symbol of the national tragedy and\, more broadly\, of any military oppression and fight for freedom. His series of photographs has entered the canon of classic post-war reportage photography. \nThe exhibition and spatial video installation of Josef Koudelka and his work and the archival footage by film director Jan Nemec are displayed on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the invasion; they are based on the eponymous book\, which has been published in twelve languages. \nThe gallery is closed on Mondays. URL:https://www.bcsa.co.uk/event/koudelka-invasion1968-archival-footage-by-jan-nemec/ LOCATION:Veletrzni Palac\, Dukelských hrdinů 47\, Prague 7\, Czech Republic END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20180901T100000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20180908T180000 DTSTAMP:20260509T135651 CREATED:20180323T173035Z LAST-MODIFIED:20180909T134025Z UID:1604-1535796000-1536429600@www.bcsa.co.uk SUMMARY:Koudelka: Returning DESCRIPTION:A retrospective cross-section of the photographer’s work to mark his 80th birthday. This Prague exhibition displays 350 photographs selected from a large collection donated by Josef Koudelka and managed by the Museum of Decorative Arts. It includes examples from all of his well-known series: Beginnings\, Experiments\, Theatre\, Gypsies\, Invasion 68\, Exiles and Panoramas. \nPrague’s National Gallery (Veletrzni Palac) is exhibiting a series of 18 photographs taken by Koudelka in 2013 for the Vatican’s first presentation at the Venice Biennale on the theme of irreversible changes humans have made to landscapes. \nThe museum and gallery are closed on Mondays URL:https://www.bcsa.co.uk/event/koudelka-returning/ LOCATION:Museum of Decorative Arts\, 17 listopadu 2\, Prague 1\, 17 listopadu 2\, Prague 1\, Czech Republic END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20180901T100000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20180908T180000 DTSTAMP:20260509T135651 CREATED:20180225T175058Z LAST-MODIFIED:20180909T133751Z UID:1519-1535796000-1536429600@www.bcsa.co.uk SUMMARY:Osmicky DESCRIPTION:A series of small exhibitions in the atrium for the anniversaries of the eights: February 1948\, August 1968 and October 1918. The basis of the exhibition is a 3-metre high wall or “gallery noticeboard” on which collages will be rotated according to the anniversary. \nThe collages will consist of various types of artistic materials (paintings\, photographs\, documents)\, primarily from the collections of the Slovak National Gallery. \nFrom  August the board commemorates the Warsaw Pact invasion in 1968 and in October it will commemorate the declaration of Czechoslovak independence in 1918. \nPart of the project will include a noticeboard dedicated to the 70th anniversary of the Slovak National Gallery\, on the other side of the panel and will be displayed throughout the year. \nThe gallery is closed on Mondays. Admission is free. URL:https://www.bcsa.co.uk/event/osmicky/ LOCATION:Esterhazy Palace\, Namestie Ludovita Stura 4\, Bratislava\, Slovakia (Slovak Republic) END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20180823T190000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20180823T211000 DTSTAMP:20260509T135651 CREATED:20180706T143740Z LAST-MODIFIED:20180706T143740Z UID:1873-1535050800-1535058600@www.bcsa.co.uk SUMMARY:Occupation 1968 DESCRIPTION:Occupation as the occupiers see it. Five Warsaw Pact countries occupied Czechoslovakia in 1968. 50 years later five film directors from these countries shot the stories of five soldiers who took part. \nA tribute to the 108 people who were killed in Czechoslovakia during the 1968 invasion\, the film tells the story of the young men who left their homes for a secret mission to save communism\, but came to be hated by the people they had come to rescue. Bored and confused pawns in the political strategy of the Warsaw Pact allies\, they returned home as heroes only to be seen as occupiers when history was rewritten. \nMixing a road movie with a love letter\, an investigative documentary\, re-enactments and hitherto unseen archive footage\, the film reveals personal stories and explores the constantly changing perspectives on historic events. \nWe meet a Russian general and his ex-comrades reliving the experience of their journey from Odessa to Prague\, fall for newlyweds whose intimate love letters are intercut with reports from the Sopoty Music Festival\, discover the unknown role of 16\,000 East German soldiers waiting on the Czechoslovak border for a mission which never comes\, and get acquainted with the young Hungarians who\, while playing soldiers\, find love and friendship in a local Slovak village. And there is the mysterious death of Sergeant Nikolov Tsekov\, who left his post and never returned… \nTHE LAST MISSION OF GENERAL ERMAKOV – Evdokia Moskovina\, Russia\nRED ROSE (FRIENDSHIP AND LOVE IN THE TIME OF OCCUPATION) – Linda Dombrowszky\, Hungary\nI’M WRITING TO YOU\, MY LOVE – Magdalena Szymkow\, Poland\nVOICES IN THE FOREST – Marie Elise Scheidt\, Germany\nAN UNECESSARY HERO – Stephan Komandarev\, Bulgaria \nStephan Komandarev\, Marie Elisa Scheidt\, Linda Dombrovszsky\, Magdalena Szymków\, Evdokia Moskvina\, SK/CZ/Pl/ BG/Hu 2018\, 130’ \nTickets: £7 + booking fee via Eventbrite (see link below) URL:https://www.bcsa.co.uk/event/occupation-1968/ LOCATION:Czech Embassy cinema\, 26 Kensington Palace Gardens\, London\, W8 4QY END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20180821T183000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20180821T203000 DTSTAMP:20260509T135651 CREATED:20180722T161911Z LAST-MODIFIED:20180821T091345Z UID:1933-1534876200-1534883400@www.bcsa.co.uk SUMMARY:Anniversary of 1968 invasion remembered - SOLD OUT! DESCRIPTION:On 21st August 2018 the BCSA will commemorate the 50th anniversary of one of the most shocking events in recent Czech and Slovak history: the invasion of Dubcek´s Czechoslovakia by Warsaw Pact troops. \nLondon is still full of people who remember the day well. Czech and Slovak students rushed to make use of the unprecedented freedom of travel to the West that summer and Britain was one of the most popular destinations. After 21st August 1968 they were stranded – and quite a few remain here today. \nLikewise\, some British visitors to Czechoslovakia came suddenly face to face with tanks and armed foreign soldiers on the street and the memory stayed with them for the rest of their lives. \nSo\, come and join us to share your memories or simply listen to others doing so. \nNigel Peace is going to read from his novel Broken Sea which centres on those events. Professor Robert Aish\, who as a student witnessed and photographed the invasion in Prague\, will share his reminiscences and his photographs. Ivan Hartel\, a poet and one of the leaders of the student resistance during the Prague Spring\, will describe his experience and read a poem devoted to those days. \nAnd we shall hear from those of you who are willing to tell us about your memories of those days – or even of your parents or grandparents. Join us and listen to history coming alive. URL:https://www.bcsa.co.uk/event/anniversary-of-1968-invasion-remembered/ LOCATION:Czech Embassy cinema\, 26 Kensington Palace Gardens\, London\, W8 4QY CATEGORIES:BCSA Events END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20180808T190000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20180808T223000 DTSTAMP:20260509T135651 CREATED:20170917T203658Z LAST-MODIFIED:20180802T164815Z UID:1071-1533754800-1533767400@www.bcsa.co.uk SUMMARY:BCSA "Get to Know You" Social Evening DESCRIPTION:Join us and have a fun evening chatting to friendly people. Czech and Slovak food and drinks are available from the restaurant and bar. \nAnybody with Czech or Slovak connections or interests is welcome to our monthly socials to meet\, chat and get to know each other a little better in a relaxed and informal gathering. \nWe usually have about a dozen people there at various times during the evening but\, whatever the number\, there will be good conversations for you to have. \nWe will be in one of the rooms at the Czech and Slovak National House\, normally the first room on the left. There will be a BCSA sign on the door. \n  URL:https://www.bcsa.co.uk/event/bcsa-get-to-know-you-social-evening-3/ LOCATION:Czech and Slovak National House\, 74 West End Lane\, London\, NW6 2LX\, United Kingdom CATEGORIES:BCSA Events ORGANIZER;CN="BCSA":MAILTO:bcsa@bcsa.co.uk END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20180730T100000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20180831T180000 DTSTAMP:20260509T135651 CREATED:20180706T135908Z LAST-MODIFIED:20180901T100631Z UID:1859-1532944800-1535738400@www.bcsa.co.uk SUMMARY:Make Love Not War Or We’ll Kill You; Prague Spring 1968 in Cartoons DESCRIPTION:Fifty years since the Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia quashed the Prague Spring we look at how cartoonists in the Czech and British press interpreted the politics of the time through humour. \nArmed with a stack of original 1968 satirical cartoon drawings under his arm\, a collector walked through the Czech Centre London door and the idea for an exhibition was born. Fifty years ago this summer as Soviet tanks supported by Warsaw Pact countries rolled into Prague and crushed a heady few months of emerging political freedoms in what is known as the Prague Spring\, the world looked on and leading political cartoonists on both sides of the Iron Curtain drew. \nOn loan from private collections\, we invite you to take a peek at how both British and Czech leading illustrators saw the politics of the time through cartoon humour; to see how both perception of events and graphic design styles differed on opposing sides of the Iron Curtain. \nThe exhibition takes its name from a caricature by John Jensen which first appeared in The Sunday Telegraph and the exhibition includes works by other leading British cartoonists including Nicholas Garland\, Leslie Gilbert Illingworth\, Kenneth Mahood\, Michael Cummings\, David Myers\, Jon Jones\, Stanley Frankin and Emmwood (John Musgrave-Jones) all published in leading UK newspapers between March and October of 1968. \nCzech cartoons are by firm favourites Jiri Jirasek\, Jaroslav Malak and Miroslav Lidak who was himself sentenced to a year in prison for a public display of cartoon rebellion. \nVitrinka Gallery is open Monday to Friday URL:https://www.bcsa.co.uk/event/make-love-not-war-or-well-kill-you-prague-spring-1968-in-cartoons/ LOCATION:Czech Centre\, 30 Kensington Palace Gardens\, London\, W8 4QY\, United Kingdom END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20180705T093000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20180705T173000 DTSTAMP:20260509T135651 CREATED:20180612T185707Z LAST-MODIFIED:20180614T084718Z UID:1794-1530783000-1530811800@www.bcsa.co.uk SUMMARY:Small nations and global identities: Czech questions DESCRIPTION:A one-day symposium considers the formation of modern Czech identity in the arts\, politics and the media\, focusing on key global events of the 20th century. \nIn addressing the relationship between the small nation and its global identity\, the programme explores three themes: the mythic portrayal of interwar Czechoslovakia as a Western oriented state and of the Czech people as passive victims of global events; the cyclical gain and loss of state sovereignty\, covering the separation of the Czech and Slovak Republics in 1993; the construction of Czechs identity in relation to ‘others’\, including German\, Slovak and Roma diasporas. \nFor full programme details and booking link see below. Free admission. URL:https://www.bcsa.co.uk/event/small-nations-and-global-identities-czech-questions/ LOCATION:Ikon Gallery\, Brindley Place\, Birmingham\, B1 2HS\, United Kingdom END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20180617T181500 DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20180617T204500 DTSTAMP:20260509T135651 CREATED:20180613T165424Z LAST-MODIFIED:20180613T165424Z UID:1801-1529259300-1529268300@www.bcsa.co.uk SUMMARY:Lonarc Oboe Trio DESCRIPTION:A fundraising concert of 18th century oboe trios composed for the Princes Schwarzenberg of Cesky Krumlov. \nFor programme details see link below and use the Eventbrite link to buy tickets. URL:https://www.bcsa.co.uk/event/lonarc-oboe-trio/ LOCATION:Burgh House\, New End Square\, London\, NW3 1LT\, United Kingdom END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20180609T140000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20180609T180000 DTSTAMP:20260509T135651 CREATED:20171215T193724Z LAST-MODIFIED:20180403T095235Z UID:1241-1528552800-1528567200@www.bcsa.co.uk SUMMARY:BCSA garden party DESCRIPTION:Our summer social will be held in the gardens of the Czech and Slovak Embassies. All are welcome – not just BCSA members. Bring your friends\, bring your family! Enjoy an afternoon relaxing among Slovak\, Czech and British people.\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.\nLive entertainment from Pieter Magusin playing his accordion and popular folk songs from Daniel Dobias with his band and singers.\nThere will be a secondhand bookstall offering books in Czech\, Slovak and English plus Jantar Publishing will showcase their English translations of works written in Central European languages.\nAnd don’t forget our raffle with attractive prizes for children and adults; donations are welcome\, including homemade cakes.\nEntrance from the Czech Embassy in Notting Hill Gate. Dress code is smart casual.\nAdmission by pre-paid ticket only: £12.50 (BCSA members) £16 (non-members) £10 (full-time students) £30 (family – 2 adults\, 2 children).\nBook online with Eventbrite (see link below) URL:https://www.bcsa.co.uk/event/bcsa-summer-party/ LOCATION:Czech & Slovak Embassy gardens\, 26-30 Kensington Palace Gardens\, London\, W8 4QY ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.bcsa.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/garden-party-2017-a.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="BCSA":MAILTO:bcsa@bcsa.co.uk END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20180529T183000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20180529T203000 DTSTAMP:20260509T135651 CREATED:20180224T133425Z LAST-MODIFIED:20180224T133425Z UID:1512-1527618600-1527625800@www.bcsa.co.uk SUMMARY:Dvorak’s less familiar career: networking in the salons of Prague and the long road to operatic success DESCRIPTION:Although Dvorak is unarguably the best-known composer from the Czech lands\, his fame rests largely on music from his later years. His early path to recognition\, however\, throws fascinating light on the friendships and support he received from the leaders of Prague’s developing cultural community. Jan Smaczny’s talk looks at how Dvorak became recognised in the salons of Prague in the 1870s and also focuses on his quest to establish himself as a composer of opera in the Provisional and National Theatres. \nJan Smaczny is a well known authority on many aspects of Czech music\, in particular the life and work of Dvořák. He was the Sir Hamilton Harty Professor of Music at Queen’s University\, Belfast\, and is now Professor Emeritus in Music. \n£15 including a glass of wine. Online booking www.czechfriends.net URL:https://www.bcsa.co.uk/event/dvoraks-less-familiar-career-networking-in-the-salons-of-prague-and-the-long-road-to-operatic-success/ LOCATION:Czech Embassy cinema\, 26 Kensington Palace Gardens\, London\, W8 4QY ORGANIZER;CN="Friends of Czech Heritage":MAILTO:info@czechfriends.net END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20180515T183000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20180515T203000 DTSTAMP:20260509T135651 CREATED:20180131T125316Z LAST-MODIFIED:20190125T105627Z UID:1438-1526409000-1526416200@www.bcsa.co.uk SUMMARY:From asylum seeker to UK policeman\, a talk by Petr Torak MBE DESCRIPTION:Born in Liberec in the Czech Republic to Roma parents; after several racially motivated attacks\, the family moved to the UK and applied for asylum. He joined the Cambridgeshire Constabulary as a Police Community Support Officer in 2006 and two years later became a Police Officer. In 2010 Torak co-founded a community group COMPAS (see our links page) that provides cultural and educational support for the Czech and Slovak communities in Peterborough. He was awarded an honorary MBE in 2015 “for services to the Roma community”. URL:https://www.bcsa.co.uk/event/from-asylum-seeker-to-uk-policeman-a-talk-by-petr-torak-mbe/ LOCATION:Czech Embassy\, 26-30 Kensington Palace Gardens\, London\, W8 4QY CATEGORIES:BCSA Events ORGANIZER;CN="BCSA":MAILTO:bcsa@bcsa.co.uk END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20180511T100000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20180511T190000 DTSTAMP:20260509T135651 CREATED:20180412T161748Z LAST-MODIFIED:20180412T161748Z UID:1668-1526032800-1526065200@www.bcsa.co.uk SUMMARY:Czechoslovakia 100 DESCRIPTION:The British Association for Slavonic and East European Studies (BASEES) Czech and Slovak Study Group is marking the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Czechoslovak state with a Czech and Slovak Study Day held at Cardiff University.\nCzech and Slovak specialists (including language experts and postgraduate students) from around the UK\, together with Czech and Slovak diplomats\, policymakers and stakeholders are invited to reassess the Czechoslovak state’s origins\, significance\, and legacies.\nConference fee £35 (including light refreshments and lunch)\nRegister online by 20 April using the link below URL:https://www.bcsa.co.uk/event/czechoslovakia-100/ LOCATION:Cardiff University END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR