© Tomki Nemec
Work for something becauseit is good, not just becauseit stands a chance to succeed.
Work for somethingbecause it is good,not just becauseit stands a chanceto succeed.
© Tomki Nemec
Disturbing the Peace Award
for a writer at risk…
The VHC annual ‘Disturbing the Peace Award’ recognizes writers who share Vaclav Havel’s passionate commitment to human rights and have suffered unjust persecution for their work.
Lifetime Achievement Award
In addition to the Disturbing the Peace Award, the Vaclav Havel Center also presents a Lifetime Achievement Award, celebrating extraordinary individuals whose creative and moral courage have shaped global culture and advanced the fight for human rights. It has recently been awarded to iconic artists and activists Joan Baez, Peter Gabriel, and Salman Rushdie — whose voices have inspired generations to stand up for freedom, dignity, and truth.
Theater
To honor Vaclav Havel’s theatrical legacy, VHC collects information about productions of his plays in America, awards scholarships to Czech and U.S. students of drama and performance studies, and presents an annual festival of contemporary European theater, Rehearsal for Truth.
Mini Drama
Student Contest
The best original mini-drama on the theme from a play by Vaclav Havel is selected each year in a program organized by the Vaclav Havel Center, Theatre Faculty of the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague, Janacek Academy of Performing Arts in Brno, Vaclav Havel Library in Prague, and Tisch School of the Arts at New York University.
Dissent Lab brings you into conversation with contemporary dissidents — people who have faced imprisonment, torture, and exile for standing up to power. These are voices from the front lines of the fight for human rights, continuing the work Havel stood for, often at great personal cost. Listen on:
Havel
Conversations
An oral history project that explores Vaclav Havel’s legacy in the US and Canada, showcasing his unique leadership style blending politics and arts. These conversations originated from interviews from Havel’s residency at Columbia University in 2006.
The Annual
Havel Lecture
The Vaclav Havel Annual Lecture will bring leading voices from the worlds of arts, politics, journalism, and academia to reflect on the enduring values of truth, freedom, and human responsibility that shaped Václav Havel’s legacy.
we have also collaborated with...
Havel Memorials
From enormous tapestries, to busts to park benches, the VHC has helped to promote the legacy and memory of Vaclav Havel through its support for a range of memorial art pieces.
