Against a backdrop of instability and insecurity the British Council has helped bring one of the world’s most exciting orchestras, the National Youth Orchestra of Iraq, to the stage.     

The British Council is a major partner in the UK's presence at the Shanghai World Expo, which opened in May. Representing a cutting-edge and innovative UK to the Chinese audience is at the core of the Council's approach at the Expo.   Photograph: Belinda Lawley

The British Council's English teaching partnership with Al-Azhar University, the global centre of Islamic learning, is helping to create a new generation of scholars keen to connect with the world.

For most of its 75 years, the British Council has been collecting works of art and sharing them with audiences around the world; the over 8000 works – known as the British Council Collection – tell the story of British art since the late 19th century. Seen by more than a million people a year, ...

For 75 years the British Council has been teaching English around the world. While we’ve remained committed to excellence in English teaching, advances in technology and the internet mean the landscape of the classroom is very different today from 75 years ago.

Eighteen-year-old Iraqi pianist and British Council Global Changemaker, Zuhal Sultan, saw her dreams come true when the National Youth Orchestra of Iraq played for the very first time this summer. After successfully auditioning online, over 30 young musicians were selected to form the ...