British Council
| Founded | 1934 |
|---|---|
| Founder | British government |
| Type | Cultural institution |
| Headquarters | 1 Redman Place, Stratford, London E20 1JQ, England, United Kingdom |
Area served | Worldwide |
| Product | British cultural and language education |
Key people | Paul Thompson (chair) Scott McDonald (chief executive) |
| Revenue | £924,965,472 (2020–21) |
| Expenses | £1,015,114,434 (2020–21) |
| Website | www.britishcouncil.org |
The British Council is a British organisation specialising in international cultural and educational opportunities. It works in over 100 countries: promoting a wider knowledge of the United Kingdom and the English language (and the Welsh language in Argentina); encouraging cultural, scientific, technological and educational cooperation with the United Kingdom. The organisation has been called a soft power extension of UK foreign policy, as well as a tool for propaganda.
The British Council is governed by a royal charter. It is also a public corporation and an executive non-departmental public body, sponsored by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office. Its headquarters are in Stratford, London. Its chair is Paul Thompson and its chief executive is Scott McDonald.