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The British Council is a non-departmental public body and registered charity for cultural relations in the United Kingdom. Its Chair is Lord Kinnock, the former leader of the Labour Party. It answers to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

Contents 1 Overview 2 Past Chairs 3 Recognition 4 Initiatives 5 Elton Awards 6 References 7 See also 8 External links

The British Council aims to build mutually beneficial cultural and educational relationships between people in the United Kingdom and in other countries, and increase appreciation of the United Kingdom's creative ideas and achievements. Its overseas network extends to 109 countries and territories.

British Council libraries have however been closed in a number of countries judged of little strategic importance to the Council as it refocused its activities on China and The Gulf. Council offices were closed in Lesotho, Swaziland, Ecuador and provincial Länder in Germany in 2000–2001 — as well as Belarus — prompting Parliamentary criticism. The British Council office in Peru closed in September 2006 as part of a rethink of its strategy in Latin America^[1].

The British Council has successfully survivied the last seventy years largely due to its ability to change with the times, remaining relevant to the agenda's of both the UK stakeholders and over 100 countries worldwide.

Around 65% of its income is self-generated through teaching English, conducting examinations and managing aid and development projects. The remainder of the funding is provided by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, which is providing a grant of £186.2 million for the year beginning 2005. Its main offices in the UK are in London, Manchester and Edinburgh. Its main areas of activity, as reflected by its website, are Learning/Teaching, the Arts, Science and Society.

Founded in 1934 as the British Committee for Relations with Other Countries, the British Council was inspired by Sir Reginald ("Rex") Leeper's recognition of the importance of "cultural propaganda" in promoting Britain.

Past Chairs of the British Council have been:

• 1934 – 1937 Lord Tyrrell
• 1937 – 1941 Lord Lloyd
• 1941 – 1945 Sir Malcolm Robertson
• 1946 – 1955 Sir Ronald Adam
• 1955 – 1959 Sir David Kelly
• 1959 – 1967 Lord Bridges
• 1968 – 1971 Lord Fulton
• 1971 – 1972 Sir Leslie Rowan
• 1972 – 1976 Lord Ballantrae
• 1977 – 1984 Sir Charles Troughton
• 1985 – 1992 Sir David Orr
• 1992 – 1998 Sir Martin Jacomb
• 1998 – 2004 Baroness Kennedy of The Shaws
• 2004 – Lord Kinnock

In 2005, along with the Alliance française, the Società Dante Alighieri, the Goethe-Institut, the Instituto Cervantes and the Instituto Camões, the British Council was awarded the Prince of Asturias Award for outstanding achievements in communications and the humanities.

Among the initiatives conceived by the British Council is the Connecting Futures programme. It also co-organises the annual Belgo-British Conference. In 2007, the British Council took a group of six young leaders from throughout the world to the World Economic Forum in Davos.

Another successful British Council programme is Creative Future, which supports young creative entrepreneurs in India. A similar programme, called Digital Pioneers has now started in Hong Kong.

The British Council also has its detractors and is seen in some quarters as being one of the least accountable public bodies in the United Kingdom.^{[citation needed]} The House of Commons Foreign Affairs Select Committee is amongst recent critics.^{[citation needed]}

Since 2003 the British Council has awarded the "English Language Teaching Innovation Awards" ("Eltons"). These awards tend to be presented to academics and publishers for their latest ELT-related work. In 2006, a school was presented with this prize for the first time. Camden College of English was awarded an Elton award for English Language Cultural Experience, a course where all the lessons take place in London's museums and galleries.

Other organisations: Alliance française Estonian Institute Goethe-Institut Instituto Cervantes Instituto Camões Confucius Institute

Related topics Café Scientifique Eunic Festival of Muslim Cultures Quango

• Official site of the British Council