Arts | All stories

From April 6 until April 10, the Czech capital will host the thirteenth Prague Writers' Festival. Later on this month, on April 24, all bookworms from around the country will converge on the Czech capital for the International Prague Book Fair. One of the most beloved writers in the Czech Republic Arnost Lustig is experiencing considerable success abroad with his novel "Lovely Green Eyes", and the nominations for the second year of the Magnesia Litera Awards have been announced in Prague.

The National Theatre, next to the National Museum, is the biggest and most famous cultural institution in the Czech Republic and a trip to Prague would not be complete without an opera, ballet or theatre performance as good quality entertainment is guaranteed. But to offer some variety to its visitors, the National Theatre has decided to turn to something more contemporary and feature an opera based on a sport that is close to many Czechs' hearts - ice hockey.

On Thursday, the country's pop, rock, dance, folk and jazz musicians flocked to Prague's T-Mobile Arena for the Andel or Angel Awards 2002. Hosted by entertainers Eva Holubova, Milan Steindler and Petr Ctvrtnicek, it was an evening full of fun, music, but also surprises as unlike the recipients of the Cesky Slavik awards - another Czech equivalent to the Grammies - the winners of the Angel 2002 were breaths of fresh air to the Czech music scene.

This Saturday, March 15, London's Opera Up Close company is holding the premiere of their production of "the Kaiser of Atlantis" ("Der Kaiser von Atlantis"), which was written by Viktor Ullmann with a libretto by Petr Kein. A Vienna-born Jew, Viktor Ullmann later took Czech nationality, and was already well-known as a composer before being sent to Terezin concentration camp in September 1942. It was there - in the most incredible circumstances - that he wrote "the Kaiser of Atlantis", before meeting his death in Auschwitz in October 1944. When

In today's edition of the Arts: we look at a new exhibition that has opened at Prague's famous Riding School Gallery, a part of the Prague Castle complex. The show, called 'Art is Abstraction' features modern works by some of the most important Czech artists of the late 20th century, including Jiri Balcar, Vladimir Boudnik, Vladimir Preclik, and Dana Puchnarova, to name but a very few of the many represented. The driving force behind the exhibition: the fact that Czech artists in 1950s and 60s Socialist Czechoslovakia turned to the book jacket

In today's edition, we'll be looking at some of the stories making headlines in the Czech world of culture and a young artist who is gaining popularity with a rather unusual concept.

Anna K and Daniel Landa hold concert for Czech soldiers in Kuwait. Galileo musical kicks off on anniversary of famous scientist's birth. Czech Philharmonic travels to USA. Theatre Institute releases two publications. National Gallery offers special Valentine's Day programme.

The Arts features last week's tribute to Vaclav Havel at Prague's National Theatre, which brought together the absolute cream of the Czech music and theatre worlds for a one-off event which may never be equaled. We also talk to the leader of the multi-talented Ecstasy of St Theresa, and take a quick look at the arts news.

In this week's Arts we look at some of the developments in the Czech world of film and will be hearing from the director of a Czech-English production of Milan Kundera's adaptation of Jacques and his Master, that's currently being performed at one of Prague's theatres:

Friday sees the opening of the tenth Febiofest in Prague - an international film, television, and video festival - with the premier of German director Tom Tykwer's latest movie "Heaven". Mr Tykwer, who also directed Run Lola Run, officially opens the festival in person at the Slovansky Dum multiplex cinema in the centre of Prague. The festival offers 850 screenings of 500 films. Its organiser Fero Fenic expects up to 150,000 visitors in the 27 cinemas in the cities of Prague, Brno, Ostrava, Liberec and others in Slovakia.