British Council

British Council
British Council
Formation	1934
Founder	United Kingdom Government
Headquarters	London, United Kingdom
Type	Cultural Institution
	The British government's cultural propaganda body.

Official Narrative

The Council used to carry a discussion of the its own history on its website which states:

The British Council was founded as an organ of international propaganda. During the late 1920s an influential group of civil servants became convinced that ‘British’ values of parliamentary democracy could be subsumed by the rising tide of fascism. Their response was the British Committee for Relations with Other Countries, which became the British Council. Particular Council initiatives included the teaching of English, but political messages always came along with the language tuition^[1]

Its Chair is Neil Kinnock, the former leader of the Labour Party. It answers to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

Overview

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 over 110 countries. British Council libraries have however been closed in a number of countries judged of little strategic importance to the Council as it refocussed its activities on China and The Gulf. Council offices were closed in Lesotho, Swaziland, Ecuador and provincial Lander in Germany in 2000/2001 - as well as Belarus - prompting Parliamentary criticism; and there is currently a threat to British Council operations in Peru. 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.

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.

Board of Trustees 2005

Neil Kinnock The Rt Hon Lord (Neil) Kinnock of Bedwellty Chair of the British Council
Gerard Lemos CMG, deputy chair of the board of trustees, Lemos and Crane Consultancy training, research and publishing Generalist Member of Audit Commission
Zeinab Badawi, member of the board of trustees, Broadcaster and journalist
Professor Timothy O'Shea BSc Phd, member of the board of trustees, Principal and Vice-chancellor, The University of Edinburgh
Charles Grant, member of the board of trustees, Director, Centre for European Reform
Rick Haythornthwaite, member of the board of trustees, Chief Executive, Invensys plc.
Sir Michael Jay KCMG, member of the board of trustees, Permanent Under-Secretary of State and Head Diplomatic Service, Foreign and Commonwealth Office
Jude Kelly OBE, member of the board of trustees, Founder and Artistic Director of Metal
Professor Lord Robert May of Oxford OM AC Kt PRS, member of the board of trustees, President, The Royal Society
Rabbi Julia Neuberger DBE, member of the board of trustees, broadcaster and project consultant
Dr Andrew Cubie CBE FRSE, Partner, Fyfe Ireland WS Solicitors

Past Chairs

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 Helena Kennedy
2004 – Lord Kinnock

Recognition

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.

Initiatives

Among the initiatives conceived by the British Council is the Connecting Futures programme.

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. The House of Commons Foreign Affairs Select Committee is amongst recent critics.^[2]

Elton Awards

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 for English Language Cultural Experience, a course where all the lessons take place in London's museums and galleries.

Business partners

Referred to as 'clients' on the British council website

People

Affiliations

Public Diplomacy Partners Group

References

↑ Nicholas J Cull Propaganda? British Council Website. Accessed 29th January 2008
↑ See: http://dblackie.blogs.com for details of some recent Council scandals.
↑ British Council client List

[1] Nicholas J Cull Propaganda? British Council Website. Accessed 29th January 2008

[2] See: http://dblackie.blogs.com for details of some recent Council scandals.

[3] British Council client List

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British Council

Contents

Official Narrative

Overview

Board of Trustees 2005

Past Chairs

Recognition

Initiatives

Elton Awards

Business partners

People

Affiliations

References

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