Founder Patrons
Pražská křižovatka provided the perfect setting for ECP’s Founders’ Day ceremony. A beautiful 14th century building, it has strong connections with our Czech Founder Patron, Václav Havel. We were celebrating the achievements of our students and remembering the people responsible for the opening of the English College in Prague in 1994. This year we paid tribute to our UK Founder Patron, Charles, Prince of Wales, now His Majesty King Charles III.
The Chairman of Governors, Denis Keefe CMG, reminded everyone of Prince Charles’s interest in Prague and the efforts made in the early 1990s to restore its historical buildings after years of neglect. Prince Charles also had a keen interest in education so when Václav Havel asked him if he would join him in becoming one of the English College’s Patrons, he willingly agreed. The two men had a friendship based on shared interests, not least in architecture. This was demonstrated by their joint support of the Prague Heritage Fund and its work in reconstructing the gardens below the Castle.
Royal Visits
Denis Keefe recalled Prince Charles’s first visit to the English College, in 2000, when he had escorted him on a tour of the Art Department. Our royal visitor had been so enthused by the work on display and in engaging in conversation with the students that because of his tight timetable, he had had to find a tactful way to end the discussion.
Guests were able to watch a video of historic footage of the two visits Prince Charles has paid to the school. The soundtrack to the video is one of Prince Charles’s favourite songs. He included it in a special radio programme to thank hospital radio volunteers who had helped entertain patients and staff in UK hospitals during the Covid pandemic.
Academic Excellence
But as well as looking back, ECP’s Founders’ Day is about celebrating the achievements of today’s students. There are subject prizes to recognise academic excellence and several students receive Founders’ Academic Prizes.
Talent Awards
In addition to prizes for academic excellence, a total of eleven students received Talent Awards to help them follow their interests outside school. Last year’s award winners told us how they had spent their prize money. One of them was Prince of Wales Scholar, Kryštof Folbrecht. He had bought a camera drone to enable him to develop his interest in filmmaking. From an award for cake making equipment for a student who would like to open her own cafe one day to one of our Ukrainian students who had to leave behind her full-size harp when she fled to Prague and is using her Talent Award to buy a Celtic harp, ECP encourages all its students to follow their passions.
Performances
There was also music and drama aplenty. We heard Shakespeare’s Sonnet 66 – as relevant today as it was in 1609, with its strong emphasis on the power of love. From Adele to Vivaldi, there was something for everyone and the final performance of the evening saw the whole of our Year 1 students coming together to sing Christina Perri’s A Thousand Years.
Visual Arts
Visual arts works were on display as well. Because of Pražská křižovatka’s wonderful mezzanine exhibition space, we were able to display all the work of our worthy prize winners.
President of the Student Council
And in one of the many highlights of the evening, the newly-elected President of the Student Council, Radim Sirůček, spoke movingly about what the College means to him.
He talked about the values of the English College. He said, “I’m sure you will agree with me, that some of the most important values that our school has been built on are open-mindedness, kindness, respect and healthy ambition. Values that have been inspired by our school’s Patrons.”