Hungarian Culture and Heritage Society

The Hungarian Culture and Heritage Society (Hungarian: Magyar Kultúra és Örökség Alapítvány, often abbreviated HC&HS) is a London-based cultural organisation and registered charity that promotes Hungarian culture and heritage in the United Kingdom. It was conceived on 3 May 2011 by Kubánda Attila and Fátyol István Olivér, who wanted to build a community capable of popularising Hungarian culture in London, described in its own history as Europe's largest multicultural capital. The organisation was formally registered by the Charity Commission on 22 July 2013 under the English name Hungarian Culture and Heritage Society, and it has grown into what its Hungarian-language history describes as the foundation uniting the London Hungarian organisations with the largest membership in the United Kingdom. The society's work is built around cultural programming rather than commercial products. Its public identity is expressed through the slogan-like triad "Kultúra. Közösség. Kapcsolat." (Culture. Community. Connection.) and through a portfolio of recurring clubs, ensembles and events. These include the Hunique Dance Ensemble (Hunique Táncegyüttes), a folk dance group founded in 2008 and merged into the foundation in 2013; the Angliai Magyar Versmondó Egyesület (Hungarian Poetry Reciters' Association in England), established within the foundation in January 2017; the HC&HS Family Day programme; the Art Lab and Mozgó Hang creative clubs; the Teenovate youth talent programme; and the KULTOUR cultural interview series. The society also runs online programmes and events, and describes itself as supporting and helping Hungarians who work or visit England. Festivals are a central part of the society's output. Its history lists events including the 2011 Ealing Autumn Festival programme "Genius of Hungary – Liszt Ferenc", the 2013 Lovas Hétvége in London, the Magyar Kultúra Napja (Hungarian Culture Day) editions from 2015 to 2018, the 2017 Magyar Néptánc Napja and the 2019 Magyar Folklór Napja. The foundation states that it now organises more than 70 Hungarian cultural events a year, and its festivals are described as among the largest Hungarian events in the United Kingdom. The organisation is a community and heritage body rather than a commercial enterprise, but it operates as a branded cultural platform with its own name, visual identity, event brands and membership communities. Its activities are aimed primarily at the Hungarian diaspora in and around London, while also presenting Hungarian culture to a wider British audience. Its history records the tragic death of founding member Kubánda Attila and his fiancée Katalin in a car accident on 27 July 2012, before the formal charity registration; the society continues to carry forward the founders' original vision. Key long-standing contributors named in its history include Lusánszky Anita, who has been central to its festivals and funding applications, and Gyügyei Erika, who leads the family day programme.

The Hungarian Culture and Heritage Society was conceived on 3 May 2011 by Kubánda Attila and Fátyol István Olivér, who wanted to create a community that could popularise Hungarian culture in London, which their account describes as Europe's largest multicultural capital. The initiative emerged alongside the growth of the Hungarian diaspora in Western Europe and a corresponding demand for quality Hungarian cultural programming in the United Kingdom. The organisation was formally registered by the Charity Commission on 22 July 2013 under the English name Hungarian Culture and Heritage Society. By then it had already suffered a severe loss: founding member Kubánda Attila and his fiancée Katalin died in a car accident on 27 July 2012, before the charity's registration. The society continued, and its Hungarian-language history describes it as having become the foundation uniting London's Hungarian organisations with the largest membership in the United Kingdom. A key early partnership was with the Hunique Dance Ensemble (Hunique Néptáncegyüttes), a folk dance group founded in 2008 under the leadership of Tóth Gabriella, from whom the ensemble took its name. Its members are Hungarian-speaking young people living in and around London. On 23 September 2013 the foundation and the dance ensemble decided to merge and continue their work together. Under the direction of Acsai Boldizsár, with Dudás Anita as leader and choreographer, the ensemble was renewed and gained a reputation beyond the Hungarian community in the United Kingdom. Its activities include the folk dance ensemble itself, dance house (táncház) sessions, folk dance teaching and folk dance camps. For its tenth anniversary it staged a large show, the Spectacular Hungarian Dance Show, at the Shaw Theatre in London. In January 2017 the foundation expanded its heritage-preserving and community-building work by establishing the Angliai Magyar Versmondó Egyesület (Hungarian Poetry Reciters' Association in England). The association aims to nurture and keep alive the Hungarian mother tongue among Hungarians living in the United Kingdom and to spread Hungarian literature among both younger and older generations. Its president is Verbászi Betty, a Radnóti Prize-winning performer. The HC&HS Family Day, launched from the society's beginnings in 2011, grew over the years into a programme series promoting Hungarian culture and preserving Hungarian roots. It is led by Gyügyei Erika, who has significant experience in sociology and child upbringing. Its main elements include craft and gastronomy fairs, children's concerts, craft workshops, children's and family programmes, and sports competitions. The Family Day peaked in 2016–2017, when eight events a year were organised across London; by 2019 this had narrowed to a single larger occasion, a Mikulás (St Nicholas) celebration combining concerts, a fair and craft workshops. Festivals have been central to the society's public profile. Its history lists the 2011 Ealing Autumn Festival programme "Genius of Hungary – Liszt Ferenc"; the 2013 Lovas Hétvége in London; the first Magyar Kultúra Napja (Hungarian Culture Day) in 2015, followed by the second in 2016, the third in 2018 and the Magyar Néptánc Napja (Hungarian Folk Dance Day) in London in 2017; and the Magyar Folklór Napja (Hungarian Folklore Day) in 2019. Lusánszky Anita has contributed greatly to the success of these festivals; as the foundation's secretary she has handled promotion, advertising and administration, and has been responsible for several successful grant applications that were crucial to the organisation's development. The festivals organised by the foundation are counted among the largest Hungarian events in the United Kingdom. Alongside these, the society runs a portfolio of clubs and programmes: Art Lab, which gives new life to old materials and waste through children's creativity; Mozgó Hang, an improvisational play group for self-expression, creative thinking and shared play; Teenovate, a youth talent programme with meet-ups and exhibitions; and KULTOUR, a cultural travel and interview series spotlighting exceptional Hungarians. The society's website highlights KULTOUR interviews including an exclusive video interview with the world-famous pianist and composer Péter Bence, whose YouTube viewership has reached 1.2 billion, and a short film presenting the Budapest Festival Orchestra and its conductor Iván Fischer at the Royal... (text truncated in the source). The foundation also published a volume covering its work from 2011 to 2018. Today it states that it organises more than 70 Hungarian cultural events a year.

• 2019

  Magyar Folklór Napja; Family Day programme narrows to a single larger Mikulás celebration.

• 2018

  Third Magyar Kultúra Napja; publication covering the foundation's work 2011–2018.

• 2017

  Angliai Magyar Versmondó Egyesület established in January; Magyar Néptánc Napja held in London.

• 2016

  Second Magyar Kultúra Napja; Family Day programme peaks with eight events a year across London in 2016–2017.

• 2015

  First Magyar Kultúra Napja (Hungarian Culture Day).

• 2013

  Formally registered by the Charity Commission on 22 July; merger with the Hunique Dance Ensemble on 23 September; Lovas Hétvége in London.

• 2012

  Founding member Kubánda Attila and his fiancée Katalin die in a car accident on 27 July.

• 2011

  Society conceived on 3 May by Kubánda Attila and Fátyol István Olivér; Ealing Autumn Festival programme 'Genius of Hungary – Liszt Ferenc'.

A community and heritage charity promoting Hungarian culture in the United Kingdom, presenting itself as a hub for cultural events, community and connection for the Hungarian diaspora in London.

• Hunique Dance Ensemble

  Folk dance ensemble founded in 2008, merged into the foundation in 2013; runs dance house, teaching and camps.

• Angliai Magyar Versmondó Egyesület

  Poetry recitation association established within the foundation in January 2017 to nurture the Hungarian language and literature in the UK.

• HC&HS Family Day

  Family programme with craft and gastronomy fairs, children's concerts, workshops and sports competitions.

• Art Lab

  Creative club giving new life to old materials and waste through children's creativity.

• Mozgó Hang

  Improvisational play group for self-expression, creative thinking and shared play.

• Teenovate

  Youth talent programme with meet-ups and exhibitions.

• KULTOUR

  Cultural travel and interview series spotlighting exceptional Hungarian figures.

1. 1Hungarian Culture and Heritage Society official websitehchs.org.uk
2. 2Wikidata: Hungarian Culture and Heritage Societywikidata.org
3. 3Magyar Kultúra és Örökség Alapítvány – Hungarian Wikipediahu.wikipedia.org