British Council

The British Council is a partly UK Government-funded public diplomacy organisation and a registered charity in the UK. It aims to build mutually beneficial cultural and educational relationships between people in the UK and in other countries, and increase appreciation of the UK's creative ideas and achievements. Its overseas network extends over 110 countries. Around 65% of its income is self-generated through teaching English, conducting examinations and managing aid and development projects.

The British Council also works in the arts. It brings around 2,000 arts every year to countries overseas - all will have a UK component, although many events are collaborations between UK artists and artists or other participants from overseas. It does not support UK artists to do work in the UK - for this you need the Arts Councils of England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales. The organisation Visiting Arts, which is funded by the British Council and the Arts Council of England brings artists from overseas to the UK.