Portsmouth Hispanic Society

¡Bienvenido!

The Portsmouth Hispanic Society offers presentations and discussions on a wide and eclectic range of Hispanic topics.

Something of interest to anyone interested in all aspects of Hispanic culture and life. We welcome visitors to any of our meetings.

The Aims of the Society

To further the understanding of all aspects of Hispanic culture and life
To provide a meeting point for those interested in the Hispanic world
To provide inexpensive tuition in the Spanish language at a range of levels

Society Activities

The main activities of the Society are Spanish language classes and the Monthly Meetings. The meetings are a social evening, with tapas, accompanied a presentation or demonstration followed by discussions.

One or two external social events are also held during the year.

Our Monthly Meetings are conducted in English. Some Spanish may be spoken but will be translated.

Next Meeting

Thursday 3rd September 2026
Fratton Community Centre, 7pm

The History of Flamenco - a presentation by Mike English

Flamenco is an art form based on the various folkloric music traditions of southern Spain, developed within the region of Andalusia, and also having historical presence in Extremadura and Murcia. In a wider sense, the term is used to refer to a variety of both contemporary and traditional musical styles typical of southern Spain. However, its style is uniquely Andalusian.

Mike's talk will examine the rather surprising origins of Flamenco in the fifteenth century, how it has evolved, and the justification for its inscription as a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2010. The evening will of course include mention of some notable performers and examples of their art.

The evening's entertainment includes the usual light tapas buffet plus a short review of topical news from the Iberian peninsula, and perhaps beyond.

Non‐members are very welcome provided they are at least 18 years of age.

There is a charge of £3.00 for non-members to attend any meeting.

The society does not have a licence to sell alcohol. The provision of wine at such events is dependent on the generosity of members so please, if you can, bring a bottle to share with fellow attendees. The same applies to soft drinks!

The presentation may be recorded and posted onto the society's website for later viewing.

Please note that on rare occasions, due to circumstances beyond the society's control, it may be necessary to move the date of, or cancel, a presentation, perhaps at short notice. The society will make every effort to warn it's members via email and update the website in good time. Attendees should consult the website for changes prior to attending the event.

View September '26 to June '27 schedule

Where we meet

Meetings are held at
The Fratton Community Centre
Trafalgar Place.
Off Clive Rd, Portsmouth
PO1 5JJ
at 7.00pm usually on the first Thursday of the month.
Click here for a MAP There is limited free parking. The Centre is twelve minutes walk from Fratton Railway station.
Busses 14 18 21 and 25 stop at St Mary's Church, about 2 minutes walk away.

Membership

Membership currently runs from September 2026 to August 2027

Current Subscription Rates

Adult - £22.00
Full-time students - £11.00 on production of a student card.
One Full Membership, one Student Membership - £33.00
Two Full Memberships - £44.00
Two Student Memberships - £22.00
Native Spanish Speaker - Honorary Membership £0.00
Members joining from February onwards will be charged half the year's subscription.

Non‐members are very welcome provided they are at least 18 years of age.

There is a charge of £3.00 for non-members to attend any meeting.

You may apply to join the society by using our on-line form, which can be accessed via the drop-down menu.

The society can now accept debit or credit card payments in person at the monthly meetings.

Society News

Posted: 28^th August 2026

Spanish Tuition for 2026/27 season

The 2026/7 season starts at the beginning of September with a wide range of educational and recreational activities organised by the society. Spanish language classes, led by a Spanish national with teaching qualifications, range in ability levels from beginner to the very experienced. Classes are delivered in a range of formats including face to face in the Southsea Library and remote learning via Zoom.

The society also offers formal and informal conversation classes and a Spanish literature reading group.

Compared to other language tuition providers the society's range of formal courses and conversation classes are very competitively priced whilst the informal activities may incur a small charges or are free.

Click here to contact the society's Language Coordinator for more information or select Spanish Tuition from the menu to view all course and conversation options.