Dear Friends of the Czech Centre,
As I write this newsletter, we are entering the final stretch of this year’s Made in Prague Festival. Since its opening on 30 October, the festival has presented an exceptionally rich and diverse programme — from a dazzling concert by pop singer Aiko, to a breathtaking performance by young virtuoso pianists at the Royal Academy of Music, to the first-ever staging of Leoš Janáček’s The Makropulos Case at the Royal Opera House. Alongside our music events, the festival’s film programme — always a highlight for London audiences — has been particularly strong this year, featuring a number of UK premieres. The Internationally acclaimed Vlny filled the BFI IMAX, the UK’s largest cinema, while Caravan drew enthusiastic crowds at the Regent Street Cinema. Both screenings were made even more special by the presence of Jiří Mádl and Aňa Geislerová. Another standout moment was Radim Vizváry’s brilliant, sold-out performance of his acclaimed show Sólo at the Coronet Theatre.
Although most of the festival’s twenty-five events are now behind us, an exciting final weekend still awaits. For those interested in photography, moving image, and digital practices — and in how these media reflect contemporary Central and Eastern Europe — I warmly recommend the symposium Fluid Futures: Recalibrating Land and History at the V&A. Among the speakers, as well as at the UK premiere of the documentary I’m Not Everything I Want to Be at the ICA, will be the celebrated Czech photographer Libuše Jarcovjáková. The award-winning film by Klára Tasovská, this year’s Czech submission for the Best International Feature Film at the Academy Awards, will be screened on the last day of the festival.
We will close the festival on 30 November with a gala concert featuring the English Chamber Orchestra and violin virtuoso Pavel Šporcl. Their performance — including Mendelssohn’s Octet and Josef Dvořák’s lyrical Romance — will provide a fitting finale to a month of vibrant Czech culture in London.
In December, as we enter the Advent season, I am delighted to invite you to a special pre-Christmas culinary evening. The event will mark the launch of Evie Harbury’s first cookbook, My Bohemian Kitchen, and will include a hands-on demonstration of selected Czech delicacies. Guests will, of course, have the opportunity to taste the results — from traditional rum truffles (rumové kuličky) to warming mulled wine (svařák).
This festive, light-hearted gathering will bring our calendar year to a close and send us into the new adventures that 2026 will bring. Before we step into the New Year, let me take this opportunity, on behalf of the entire Czech Centre team, to wish you and your loved ones a peaceful and joyful Christmas season, good health, positive spirit, and many invigorating cultural encounters in the year ahead.
Thank you sincerely for your continued support.
With my very best holiday wishes,
Přemysl Pela
Director of the Czech Centre
Cover image: Photos from 29th Made in Prague Festival, © Jan Pavelka, Vlado Pagac, Marek Bero
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Made in Prague Festival Finale
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Fluid Futures: Recalibrating Land and History in Global Eastern Europe
ART SYMPOSIUM
Saturday 29 November, 10 am – 5.30 pm / V&A, The Lydia and Manfred Gorvy Lecture Theatre
The V&A symposium Fluid Futures explores Eastern Europe through photography, film, and digital practices, featuring Czech photographer Libuše Jarcovjaková alongside artists and researchers on identity, ecology, and inherited histories. More info
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I’m Not Everything I Want To Be
+ Q&A With Libuše Jarcovjáková, director Klára Tasovská and producer Lukáš Kokeš
FILM
Sunday 30 November 2025, 12.30 pm / ICA
Told through photographs and diaries, Klára Tasovská’s I’m Not Everything I Want to Be traces photographer Libuše Jarcovjáková’s fearless pursuit of freedom and identity in post-invasion Czechoslovakia. More info
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Made in Prague Festival Closing Gala
Pavel Šporcl with the English Chamber Orchestra: Strings of Brilliance
MUSIC
Sunday 30 November 2025, 7 pm / Holy Sepulchre London
The 29th Made in Prague Festival will conclude with a gala featuring Czech violin virtuoso Pavel Šporcl, returning to perform with the English Chamber Orchestra Ensemble. Featuring Mendelssohn, Dvořák and Paganini, the concert promises a vibrant and unforgettable festival finale. More info
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Stories and Tasters from Evie Harbury’s Bohemian Kitchen
Thursday 4 December 2025, 7 pm / Czech Centre at the Czech Embassy Cinema
Join Evie Harbury, food stylist, chef, and debut author, and Lou Kenney, a fellow cookbook author and food stylist, for a festive evening of Czech flavours and storytelling to celebrate the launch of Evie Harbury‘s first cookbook, My Bohemian Kitchen. More info
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Baking with the Czech Centre: Linecké banánky (Linzer cookies dipped in chocolate)
Monday 15 December 2023, 6.30 pm / Free event / In Czech and on ZOOM
Join bakers Ivona and Adéla for a festive Czech Christmas session. Bake Linzer cookies dipped in chocolate, enjoy mulled wine, a Kahoot quiz, carols and holiday chats. Aimed at our Czech language students, the event will be held in Czech on Zoom. More info
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Silent Systems: Breathing Devices
& 'Breathing' With 'Breaths - Air Bladders'
Till 15 January 2026
Vitrínka Gallery, Bouda Gallery, Czech Centre London
Both exhibitions in our galleries, Silent Systems: Breathing Devices and ‘Breathing’ with ‘Breaths – Air Bladders’ are running till 15 January. Silent Systems features Filomena Borecká and others, exploring breath as an unseen system linking bodies, spaces and machines. ‘Breathing’ with ‘Breaths – Air Bladders’ centres on Borecká’s breathing sculpture, turning respiration into a shared, sensory experience.
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Image: First Touch, Filomena Borecká, Paris, 2025 / Breaths - Air Bladders, Filomena Borecká, photo Bruno Dubois
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Leoš Janáček and His Operas
Till 15 January 2026 / Public space outside the Czech Embassy
Celebrating Janáček’s extraordinary operatic world, this outdoor exhibition outside the Czech Embassy in London showcases archival materials, striking images, and his enduring legacy from Brno to the international stage. More info
Image: The Cunning Little Vixen © National Theatre Brno
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WE ARE HIRING! Join our team
The Czech Centre London is looking for a new part-time Audio-Visual & Technical Production Manager. Join our creative team to capture events, handle technical production, and support exhibitions and screenings. Apply by 30 November 2025 for a 1 February 2026 start.
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