FLAGSHIP PROGRAMME
A long-term multidisciplinary programme documenting the stories, achievements and lived experiences of Slovaks and Czechs in Britain through photography, documentary film, theatre and community engagement.
PORTRAITS PROGRAMME LAUNCH
Watch the opening of the inaugural Portraits of Slovak and Czech Britain exhibition at the Nunnery Gallery, London, marking the launch of our flagship multidisciplinary programme.
ABOUT THE PROGRAMME
Portraits of Slovak and Czech Britain is Slovak Theatre London's flagship multidisciplinary programme exploring migration, identity, heritage, resilience and belonging. It brings together portrait photography, personal testimony, historical research, documentary film, theatre and public engagement to preserve stories that have rarely been presented together in this way.
The idea began in 2023 after project creator Simona Vrabcová read Zuzana Slobodová's book The Streets of London Are Paved with Gold. The book combines fictional migration stories with five portraits of real personalities. It first inspired the idea of a theatre production, but also raised a wider question: how many other Slovaks and Czechs in Britain have remarkable stories that remain unseen?
Planning, research, fundraising and partnership development began in 2023. Throughout 2024, the team photographed and interviewed participants across professions and generations. The project was developed for two years before its first public exhibition opened in September 2025.
The programme now features more than fifty personalities and connects their experiences with more than one hundred years of Slovak and Czech migration to Britain. It brings together stories of exile, opportunity, community building and inherited identity while showing how migrants and their descendants contribute to British society.
The exhibition was the first public outcome of the programme. The same research and recorded material continue through a documentary film, a devised theatre production, learning activity and a future book.
Beautiful portraits with incredible stories. So much energy emanates from these thoughtfully curated images. A must-see exhibition.
50+
Featured Personalities
Across professions, generations and migration experiences.
100+
Years of Migration History
Connected through research, testimony and personal stories.
4
Interconnected Strands
Exhibition, documentary film, theatre and learning.
2023–2025
In Development Before Launch
Research, photography, interviews, fundraising and production.
PROGRAMME STRANDS
Each strand develops the same wider story in a different form, allowing audiences to encounter the personalities, histories and themes through image, voice, performance and participation.
CONTINUING
Fifty featured personalities are presented through 48 photographic works, newly researched life stories and historical context. The exhibition is curated around the Pioneers, Visionaries and Descendants, connecting personal journeys with more than a century of Slovak and Czech migration to Britain.
Explore the ExhibitionIN POST-PRODUCTION
Filmed alongside the portrait sessions, the documentary allows many of the same personalities to tell their stories in their own voices. It adds family memories, movement and additional UK-born descendants, creating a deeper intergenerational account of identity, migration and belonging.
Explore the Documentary FilmIN DEVELOPMENT
The strand most directly inspired by Zuzana Slobodová's book transforms migration stories into a devised stage production. Four actresses bring the material to life through text, movement and ensemble performance.
Explore the Theatre ProductionCONTINUING
Artist-led workshops invite children, families and adults to explore heritage, identity, migration and creative expression through visual art, storytelling, history, movement, voice and discussion.
Explore Workshops and LearningSUPPORT AND COLLABORATION
Portraits has grown through a combination of public support, private contributions, crowdfunding, artistic collaboration and in-kind assistance.
The exhibition and wider programme have received support from the Office for Slovaks Living Abroad, the Embassy of the Slovak Republic in London and the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs of the Slovak Republic. The documentary's post-production and planned television broadcast are being developed with STVR, supported by the efforts of Ambassador Peter Susko.
Financial contributions from Dr Jan Telensky, Ladislav Horňan, Jaroslav Lipták and crowdfunding supporters helped move the programme from idea to public presentation. HAPACA Studio created the hand-painted canvas, Gas Production Hire supported the lighting, and additional practical and creative support came from Velehrad London, Beyond Print, Image Approvals and Peter Mikitič from TV JOJ.
Curatorial consultation was provided by Dr Sunil Shah. Hermine Patch documented the project behind the scenes, and photography assistants Jack Somerset, Robin Bernstein and Ludovic Robert supported the portrait sessions.
Programme delivery and growth are made possible through the support of a network of cultural, community, educational, media and public partners.
