The Made in Prague Festival returns to the UK capital with the best of contemporary Czech culture.
The Made in Prague Festival returns to the UK capital with the best of contemporary Czech culture showcased in central London venues throughout November. This year, the popular multi-genre festival reflects the Year of Czech Music with fantastic classical and jazz concerts, celebrates a centenary of the legacy of Franz Kafka through the means of visual art, literature, film and performance, and remembers the 35th anniversary of the Velvet Revolution with a UK premiere of a new documentary about the dissident playwright turn President Václav Havel.
Keeping in line with the Year of Czech Music, the festival launches on Thursday 31 October at a concert by the LSO featuring Follow Me, a Concerto for Violin and Orchestra by award-winning Czech composer Ondřej Adámek, and Ludwig van Beethoven’s Symphony No 1 and Symphony No 4. Composer and conductor Thomas Adès and the brilliant violinist Isabelle Faust join the Orchestra on stage for this compelling programme at the Barbican Hall. The concert will commence a five-week long programme showcasing an array of various cultural events, culminating in the festival’s closing night on 30 November at the Southbank Centre, featuring world-renowned Czech violinist Pavel Šporcl accompanied by the English Chamber Orchestra. His performance promises to be a spectacular conclusion to this musical journey, embodying the dynamic and timeless spirit of Czech music.
The festival also commemorates one hundred years since the death of Franz Kafka, one of the most influential literary figures of the 20th century. This year, we honour his legacy through a series of theatre performance at the Coronet Theatre, a literary evening and an outdoor art exhibition.
MADE IN PRAGUE FESTIVAL TOP PICK
In addition, this year marks the 35th anniversary of the Velvet Revolution, the peaceful uprising that led to the end of the communist regime in Czechoslovakia. To reflect on this significant moment in Czech history, the festival will showcase the film Havel Speaking, Can You Hear Me?, a powerful portrait of Václav Havel, the playwright-turned-president whose leadership was pivotal during the revolution. On Havel’s invitation, the filmmaker was granted unlimited access and creative freedom to capture the last few years of his life. The result is an extraordinary time-lapse documentary reflecting on Havel’s political legacy and universal human issues with absolute openness through previously unseen footage.
A core component of the Made in Prague Festival remains its dedication to showcasing contemporary Czech cinema. This year’s film programme is particularly exciting, with screenings of films such as Brothers, the Czech nomination for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Film; She Came at Night, the Czech Lion Award winner for both Best Director and Best Actress in a leading role; and Waltzing Matilda, followed by a Q&A with the film’s leading actor Karel Roden, offering UK audiences a window into the diverse and innovative world of modern Czech filmmaking.
The 28th Made in Prague Festival: 31 October – 30 November 2024
Venues: Barbican, British Library, The Coronet, Czech Centre & Czech Embassy, The Garden Cinema, The Gate, ICA, Regent Street Cinema
Full programme: 28th Made in Prague Festival / Czech Centre London