The fourth year of the cultural and social festival NeverMore 68 will again take place at the Exhibition Grounds in Prague, on the anniversary of the 57 years of the occupation of the then Czechoslovakia on August 21 from 14:00 to 23:30. This year will bring a perspective on the August events through the eyes of foreign media, institutions, and governments, with the British Embassy in Prague and the British Council being new main partners. Attention will be paid to Great Britain, where a significant Czechoslovak community lived.
NeverMore 68 is already a traditional cultural festival organized by the Exhibition Grounds in Prague, whose main goal is primarily to commemorate the anniversary of the invasion of the Warsaw Pact troops into the territory of the then Czechoslovakia. Over four years, NeverMore 68 has become the largest civic commemoration of the events of 1968, serving as a platform for other organizations and institutions dedicated to this part of our history. This year's NeverMore will provide insight into how foreign media, institutions, and governments reported on the events in then Czechoslovakia and the invasion of the Warsaw Pact troops – on both sides of the Iron Curtain.
“Every year I tell myself, with everything happening around us, how important the NeverMore 68 event is for its commemoration this year. The current global situation, as well as history itself, constantly reminds us how important it is to defend freedom, democracy, and values such as respect and dignity for individuals. This year, NeverMore 68 will once again highlight these values, as well as why we should never forget the year 68. Personally, I am especially looking forward to the information from the British Embassy and the British Council about how the representatives of that time informed about the events in our country, as well as the Waves of Jiří Mádl, which I have already seen but would gladly repeat,” invites the head of the Exhibition Grounds Tomáš Hübl to the event.
The event is prepared by the Exhibition Grounds in Prague in cooperation with the British Embassy in Prague, the British Council, Czech Radio, the association Thanks, We Can, the organization Memory of the Nation (Post Bellum), the National Film Archive, and the Museum of Memory of the 20th Century. This year, gulag.cz, Political Prisoners.cz, dekomunizace.cz, and the screening of a unique film program created in collaboration with Thanks, We Can and the National Film Archive will also be present. Part of the event will also be a stream Gift for Putin, which will address the topic of August 68 with its guests and bring a simulator F18 to the public. At the end of their stream, there will be a screening of the film The Great Patriotic Trip by Robert Kvalipl, followed by a screening of the film Waves by Jiří Mádl.
And as every year, listeners who cannot directly participate in the event at the Exhibition Grounds will be able to tune in to Czech Radio with their live discussion entry and thus be part of this commemorative event for at least a moment.
“This year we are focusing on the foreign perspective to bring visitors closer to how the governments of countries on both sides of the Iron Curtain, the media, and civil society reacted to the occupation of Czechoslovakia in August 1968. Special attention is paid to Great Britain, where a significant Czechoslovak community lived. The theme will be presented not only through panel discussions but also through a separate exhibition featuring unique declassified materials from British government meetings, diplomatic dispatches, reactions from the period press, and demonstrations,” adds the event's author Barbora Šubrtová.
Main program highlights:
- Debate and video stage
- Exhibitions dedicated to the year 1968
- Presentations of civil society organizations and entities
- Interactive installation Maps of Occupation
- Screening of the award-winning film Waves by director Jiří Mádl
The interactive installation Maps of Occupation provides a bird's-eye view of the events of August 1968 and their imprint on Czechoslovak society. Eight consecutive themes will retell the story not only of how quickly a foreign army in superiority nibbled away at our state but will also remind us of the impact of the occupation on the lives of citizens even several decades later.
The debate podcast stage will offer a full-day program full of inspiring conversations and current topics. Together with journalists, historians, eyewitnesses, and representatives of international institutions, we will reflect on key moments of the 20th century and what freedom of speech means today.
The video stage program is created in collaboration with the association Thanks, We Can.
Main media partners:
Czech Radio Radiožurnál and Czech Television.
Media partners:
Czech Radio Radio Prague, Refresher News, Aerokina, Newstream, Czech Radio Radio Wave.
Participating institutions:
British Council, British Embassy in Prague, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, European Commission, Czech Radio Radiožurnál, Museum of Memory of the 20th Century, Memorial Czech Republic, Dekomunizace.cz, Thanks, We Can, Post Bellum with the Memory of the Nation project, Gift for Putin, Political Prisoners.cz, Dekomunizace, and Gulag.cz.
The patronage of the NeverMore 68 event has been taken by:
Jan Lipavský, M.A., Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic, Mgr. Vít Rakušan, Minister of the Interior of the Czech Republic, JUDr. Jiří Pospíšil, Councillor for Culture of the Capital City of Prague.
Admission to the event is free.
