Dear friends of Czech culture,
We are starting the spring season in new shoes! We are proud to present the pioneering and daring personality, Tomáš Baťa, Czech “shoemaker to the world”, in a new exhibition located in our Vitrínka gallery at the Czech Centre. We focus on modernist, almost utopian architectural heritage of the Bata company as an illustration of one phenomenon of the 20th century which also shaped our era.
As a Czech representative in the United Kingdom, I’m so happy to see how close it can be from the Moravian town of Zlín to East Tilbury in Essex. Visit our Vitrínka gallery and see it for yourself, you are most welcome.
Please do pay attention to two events that we co-host which focus on the Holocaust remembrance. We in the Czech Centre find it very important to speak about Jewish history in Central Europe, especially today when we see antisemitism on the rise in Europe. We will continue to speak-up.
Thank you. Děkuji.
Tereza Šídlová
Director of the Czech Centre
Cover image: Baťa factory, East Tilbury © Bata Heritage Centre
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Desire to Create: Baťa’s Architecture of Belonging
9 April – 12 June 2026 / Vitrínka Gallery, Czech Centre London, W8
Private View: Thursday 9 April 2026, 6.30-8.30pm
Desire to Create explores how Tomáš Baťa used architecture to shape community and everyday life. Marking the 150th anniversary of his birth, it examines his philosophy and its realisation in East Tilbury through drawings, photographs and original artefacts. More info
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The Queen and the Playwright: A Royal Visit at the Prague Castle
Dates tbc. / Public space outside of the Czech Embassy, London W8
Marking 30 years since Queen Elizabeth II’s 1996 visit, this exhibition presents Alan Pajer’s photographs capturing historic encounters with Václav Havel, reflecting diplomacy, symbolism and renewed ties between Britain and a newly free Czech Republic.
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Classical Interest: Tomáš Jamník & Friends – London Concert for Parkinson’s UK
Thursday 2 April 2026, 7.15pm / Lexham Gardens in Kensington, London W8
A special London concert brings the Czech ‘Classical Interest’ initiative to an intimate setting, as cellist Tomáš Jamník, pianist Sam Haywood and violinist Kryštof Kohout, among others, perform in support of Parkinson’s UK. More info
Photo:Tomáš Jamník, © Herbert Slavík
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Fanfares for Leoš Janáček, with special guest Jakub Hrůša
Thursday 23 April 2026, 8pm / Czech Centre at the Czech Embassy Cinema, London W8
Marking 100 years since the Sinfonietta premiere, this evening explores Leoš Janáček’s late creative surge through discussion and music, with Jakub Hrůša, Nigel Simeone and Jiří Zahrádka, celebrating his distinctive voice and introducing new publications on his work. More info
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Erev Yom HaShoah: ‘People Without History Are Dust’: An ‘In Conversation’ with Dr Anna Hájková and Rabbi Kamila Kopřivová
Monday 13 April 2026, 6.30pm / Westminster Synagogue, London SW7
Dr Anna Hájková discusses the largely overlooked history of same-sex desire during the Holocaust, based on her award-winning book People Without History Are Dust. In conversation with Rabbi Kamila Kopřivová, she explores how restoring queer narratives can broaden our understanding of the Shoah. More info
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MEHRIN: A Bridge Between the Past and Future of Moravian Jewish Heritage
Wednesday 22 April 2026, 7pm / Czech Centre at the Czech Embassy Cinema, London W8
An introduction to the MEHRIN project, the future Moravian Jewish Museum in Brno, where Martin Reiner, Martin Šmok and Táňa Klementová explore how archives, stories and technology connect past and future generations. More info
Image: MEHRIN Moravian Jewish Museum, winning design of an international architectural competition by Kengo Kuma
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"LOOK, HAVEL!"
Did you ever meet Václav Havel or capture him in a photograph? Share your images and stories to mark the 90th anniversary of his birth. Selected contributions will be archived and exhibited internationally. Submit by 30 April 2026 via email. More info
Photo: Václav Havel and Rolling Stones, Prague 1995, photo: Ondřej Němec
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Come with us! - Democratic Transformations in Central and Eastern Europe after 1989
Till 30 April 2026 / 12 Star Gallery, Europe House, London SW1P
Now on view at 12 Star Gallery, Come with us! reflects on the transformative year 1990, when democratic change and newly regained freedoms reshaped Central and Eastern Europe. Featuring iconic political posters from twelve countries, it revisits a pivotal moment that continues to resonate today. More info
Images: Václav Ševčík: Free Election 1989, Poster of the Civic Forum, Colour offset, Moravian Gallery Brno, Czech Republic / Come with us! exhibition poster / Krysztof Ducki: Prague’ 68, 1989 Poster, Silkscreen Design: Interart Studio Hungarian National Museum
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Spring term enrolment
Spring term: 13 April – 13 July 2026 / Enrolment runs until 2 April 2025
The spring term of our online Czech language courses is now open for enrolment. Continue with your studies or brush up your Czech language skills and find the course that suits you best. Apply by 2 April via our website. More info
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Ikarie XB-1 @ Cold War Visions
Wednesday 1 & Wednesday 8 April 2026, 6.20pm / Barbican Cinema, London EC2Y
Set in 2163, Ikarie XB-1 by Jindřich Polák follows astronauts seeking a new life, while confronting humanity’s flaws. Inspired by Stanisław Lem, it blends space travel with Cold War fears. More info
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Lukáš Kroulík @ Future Folklore
28 March - 30 May / Maclaurin Art Gallery, Ayr, Scotland
Czech artist Lukáš Kroulík has been selected for Future Folklore, the 2026 exhibition by Visual Arts Scotland. His work TIDE explores memory and materiality through mixed-media photography. More info
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Magdalena Kožená in recital
Tuesday 21 April 2026, 7.30pm / Wigmore Hall, London W1U
Czech mezzo-soprano Magdalena Kožená and Azul Lima present a rich programme of lute and vocal works, blending Baroque masterpieces with modern improvisation, exploring love, grief, and human emotion. More info
Photo: Magdalena Kožená, © Julia Wesely
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Scottish Chamber Orchestra: Bohemian Rhapsodies
Thursday 16 April 2026, 7.30pm / The Queen's Hall, Edinburgh, EH8
The Scottish Chamber Orchestra, led by violinist Jonian Ilias Kadesha, celebrates Czech music with Kaprálová, Dvořák, and Martinů, blending lively dances, romantic concerto, and Martinů’s surrealist, jazz-infused La revue de cuisine. More info
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Fibonacci Quartet – April UK Concerts
Throughout April / Isle of Wight / Jersey / Tilford / Brighton / London
In April, the award-winning Fibonacci Quartet, featuring Czech violinist Kryštof Kohout, performs across the UK, including a special London concert on 22 April, with works by Beethoven, Debussy, Bartók, and Schumann. More info
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Jaromír Nohavica at 229 Venue
Sunday 26 April 2026, 8.30pm (doors open 7.30pm) / 229 Venue, London W1W
Czech singer-songwriter Jaromír Nohavica performs a captivating solo recital with guitar and heligonka, joined by Robert Kusmierski and Pavel Plánka, blending classics and new songs from his latest album. More info
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Friends of Czech Heritage Walking Tour – Émigré Czech Architects
Sunday 26 April 2026, 10.45am
Explore London’s architecture with Czech émigré expert Ivan Margolius, visiting Eva Jiřičná’s staircases, Lord’s Tavern, and iconic YRM and Future Systems buildings on this guided walking tour. More info
Image: Eva Jiřičná's Bollinger Gallery in V&A Museum
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Jáchym Topol at the European Writers’ Festival 2026
Sunday 17 May 2026, 3 pm / Pigott Theatre, British Library, London
Acclaimed Czech author Jáchym Topol joins the European Writers’ Festival at the British Library, bringing his bold, imaginative storytelling to the panel “Stranger Things”, exploring unconventional narratives and contemporary European literature. More info
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Designed to Belong: Modernism, Industry and Community
Thursday 11 June 2026, 7pm / Czech Centre at the Czech Embassy Cinema, London W8
How does architecture shape belonging? This panel explores the Bata village at East Tilbury, where modernist ideals, industry and planning created a unique community, connecting its legacy to today’s debates on development, identity and place-making. More info
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