Newsletter Českého centra - květen 2025

As we are sending out this newsletter on the 1st of May, I cannot allow myself to miss the opportunity to mention the romantic poem May written by Karel Hynek Mácha almost a hundred and ninety years ago. As in my school days there was no AI or any other advanced digital technology, the emphases were on encyclopaedic knowledge and memorising. As a result, there is no Czech who would not know at least a few lines from the poem, starting ‘It was late eve - the first of May, A night in May—It is time for love’. This poem is a homage to the beauty of spring, nature and love. If you are in a romantic mood I highly recommend reading it or you might instead, as it is a Czech tradition, kiss a loved one under a blossoming tree on the 1st of May. 

The rest of May will offer an abundance of opportunities to spend time together at diverse cultural events. On a musical note, the London Symphony Orchestra conducted by Sir Simon Rattle will perform at the Barbican the next in a series of Leoš Janáček’s outstanding operas, the witty and hilarious satire The Excursion of Mr Brouček. Also, for classical music fans, one of the leading Czech ensembles, The Bennewitz Quartet, will perform at the Wigmore Hall, with a concert blending Czech and Native American tunes.

This May also marks a very important milestone of modern history, the 80th anniversary of the end of WWII. I am pleased that we will be honouring this anniversary in partnership with the Memorial Association for Free Czechoslovak Veterans and the British Council Prague. The evening will feature the legendary film Riders of the Sky, based on a novel by Filip Jánský which tells a compelling story inspired by real events about the heroism, courage and sacrifice of Czechoslovak RAF fighters. The film was banned in Czechoslovakia after the Soviet invasion in 1968 and released many years later after political changes in Central Europe. A special treat for the occasion will be a personal introduction to the film by Gerry Manolas, granddaughter of WWII veteran Lt. Bohuslav Šulc. 

In our programming this month we will continue the series Women in Focus presenting inspirational personalities and sharing their personal and professional stories. Our guest, the multi-talented Juliet Vopěnka Navrátilová, will introduce us to a very topical subject area, the sphere of wellbeing, spirituality and mental health, through the unconventional methods of healing by sensitivity, ritual, the power of intuition and shamanic alchemy that have been passed down by generations of indigenous healers in Latin America. 

I would also like to extend an invitation to the Fashion in Film Festival where Czech cinematography will be represented at the Barbican and the Garden Cinema by two short films, Clothing Factory, Česká Kamenice, and the popular children’s animated classic How the Mole Got His Trousers.  

As Graphic Design continues to be one of the main themes of the spring programme, I encourage you to view the ongoing exhibition Identity – The Story of Czech Graphic Design at the Czech Centre’s galleries. On the same theme, I’m delighted to share information about the opening of Atelier Bohemia in Clerkenwell - a design hub which will display and showcase contemporary product design and Czech-UK design companies. You can add to your calendar an event on the 3rd of June which will present a vibrant showcase of top contemporary UK-based Czech graphic designers. 

As always, I’m looking forward to seeing you at these cultural encounters. 

With best wishes,

Přemysl Pela
Director of the Czech Centre