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... Read more »

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. Sir 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... Read more »

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... Read more »

An illustrated talk by Jana Buresova Czechoslovakia 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... Read more »

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. Tickets £14, concessions £12, child/student £5. Buy on the door or online from the link below.  

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. Two showings as part of the BFI London Film Festival: Monday 15 October, ICA Cinema at 21.00 Wednesday 17 October, BFI Southbank at 11.30 Tickets on sale from 13 September... Read more »

A landmark in Czech cinema, this historical epic is the only film to attempt to reveal the life of the country's patron saint. A 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... Read more »

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... Read more »