Dear friends,
For the Czech Centres, May means Prague Spring. In the first place I’m talking about the famous music festival, of course. For the first time ever we will be streaming live the opening concert here in London at the Czech Embassy’s cinema. Secure your ticket for this unique and intimate experience of connection to Czech culture. See you there.
For us at the Czech Centre in London, this Prague spring also means bringing here two big names of contemporary Czech culture, both artistically linked to the Czech capital: writer Jáchym Topol and sculptor David Černý. You are most welcome to experience a taste of Prague with us here in London.
Tereza Šídlová
Director of the Czech Centre
Cover image: Prague Spring 2025, Opening concert © Václav Hodina
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BATAstories
Tuesday 5 May 2026, 7pm / Czech Embassy Cinema, London W8
BATAstories is a sweeping documentary tracing Tomáš Baťa’s rise from cobbler’s son to global industrialist. Directed by Peter Kerekes, it blends memoir, personal stories and archival footage to explore Baťa-built communities and the human dimension of a worldwide enterprise. More info
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The Prague Spring International Music Festival LIVE – Opening Concert
Tuesday 12 May 2026, 6.30pm / Czech Embassy Cinema, London W8
Join us for a live stream of the Opening Concert of the Prague Spring International Music Festival, featuring Bedřich Smetana’s Má vlast (My Country), performed by the Prague Radio Symphony Orchestra under Petr Popelka, with an introduction by writer and broadcaster Nigel Simeone. More info
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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
Jáchym Topol, photo: Barbora Topol Hanková
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David Černý’s Butterfly Effect Arrives in London
19 – 21 May 2026 / Atelier Bohemia, 3 Clerkenwell Road, London, EC1M
A striking artwork by the outstanding Czech artist David Černý, famous for his bold outdoor installations, is about to land in London. Czech Centre London together with Atelier Bohemia, CzechTrade and Prusa Research are bringing to the UK a special variation of Černý's Butterfly Effect installation on the occasion of Clerkenwell Design Week. More info
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Desire to Create: Baťa’s Architecture of Belonging
Till 12 June 2026 / Vitrínka Gallery, Czech Centre London, W8
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
Photo: Bata hotel in East Tilbury © Bata Heritage Centre
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The Queen and the Playwright: A Royal Visit at the Prague Castle
Till 12 June 2026 / 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. More info
Photo: © Alan Pajer
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Czech Language Certificate Exam – CCE
Levels B1, B2 – 4 & 5 July 2026 / Application deadline: 15 May 2026
Test your knowledge of Czech by taking the Czech Language Certificate Exam with the Czech Centre. The examination is recognised by most Czech and foreign employers and by some universities and colleges. It can help you with entrance examinations, improve your career and measure your progress in Czech. More info
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Lucie Kordačová: Testing Ground Residency, Yorkshire Artspace
May 2026 / Exchange Place Project Space, Sheffield S2
At Testing Ground, a Sheffield residency, Czech-born artist Lucie Kordačová explores landscapes, folklore and material transformation through sculpture, sound and performance. Visit open days on 8–9 May, with a special event on 22 May. More info
Photo: Lucie Kordačová: 1. Dozinky, 2025, © Victoria Sharples / 2. The Last Sheaf, 2025, © Victoria Sharples
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Untitled at Photo London
14-17 May / National Hall, Olympia W14
Untitled, a leading Czech publisher of contemporary photography books, will present at Photo London this May, featuring works by Marie Tomanová, Linda Zhengová, and Libuše Jarcovjáková, alongside rare archival editions and new releases from one of the Czech Republic’s most dynamic publishers. More info
Photo: © Linda Zhengová
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Michaela Poláková’s music for Albatross tours across England
May 2026 / England Tour
Czech-born composer Michaela Poláková has created the music for Albatross, a new play by Martha Loader. Produced by Menagerie Theatre Company, the production tours venues across England until 30 May, including performances in London, Cambridge and Colchester. More info
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Czech Classical Music Highlights for May
Throughout May
Czech musicians will appear across the UK this May, with highlights including the Leamington Music Festival and two exceptional Wigmore Hall performances by the Fibonacci and Pavel Haas quartets. The month also features The Song of Terezín in Manchester, a moving concert honouring the remarkable musical legacy of wartime Czech composers.
Photo: Pavel Haas Quartet, © Pavel Tichý
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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
Photo: Bata development in East Tilbury, © Bata Heritage Centre
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