British Council to Shut Offices in Nine Countries
The Council is integral to the UK’s international cultural influence, through cultural exchange, education and language programmes
_02.jpg%3F2026-07-15T16%3A00%3A23.631Z&w=3840&q=100)
British Council in Madrid, 2015. Photo: Luis García
The British Council will close its offices in nine countries, The Independent has reported.
The Council is integral to the UK’s international cultural influence, through cultural exchange, education and language programmes, as well as delivering UK-funded development projects. It has undergone years of financial strain.
Seven of the countries that the Council will no longer have a permanent presence in have been confirmed as Botswana, Chile, Croatia, Mozambique, Peru, Tanzania and Trinidad and Tobago.
The British Council cited operating costs, opportunities for growth, government priorities and expiring partnerships as motivators in their decision.
Related content
Yayoi Kusama, iconic painter of polka dots, dies at 97
Gwangju Biennale reinstates Taiwan Pavilion
Helsinki Biennial Announces Theme and Artists for 2027 Edition
News

Yayoi Kusama, iconic painter of polka dots, dies at 97
The artist developed a body of work recognisable for its obsession with repetition

Gwangju Biennale reinstates Taiwan Pavilion
Following accusations of censorship, the participation of Taiwanese artists will now be named the Taiwan Pavilion rather than the ‘NTMoFA Pavilion’

Helsinki Biennial Announces Theme and Artists for 2027 Edition
The fourth edition of the biennial will explore the ‘Unknowns’, and will take place from June to September 2027

Gwangju Biennale accused of censoring pavilion title
The Taiwanese participants as well as Taiwan’s Ministry of Culture have called the naming change an act of ‘political censorship’

Park Seo-Bo Museum Opens in Seoul
The museum of Dansaekhwa master Park Seo-bo (1931–2023) is set to open to the public on 21 August, the artist's foundation has announced

Brett Littman named director of MCA San Diego
Littman was formerly deputy director of MoMA PS1, executive director at the Drawing Center and director of the Noguchi Museum

V&A Workers Set to Strike Despite Hydration Break Concession
Staff at the museum’s new East Storehouse have attacked museum management about access to water and toilets during shifts, while a wider dispute over pay and working conditions looks set to roll on through the summer
.jpg%3F2026-08-14T11%3A19%3A23.683Z&w=3840&q=100)
ICOM-US Backs Smithsonian Against Trump Pressure
ICOM-US has joined the American Alliance of Museums in defending the Smithsonian, weeks after its parent body strengthened its rules on museum independence

Aperture Reveals Programme for New Permanent New York Home
The photography publisher will open its 10,000 sq ft Upper West Side headquarters in September, four years after announcing plans for the permanent space

Elvira Dyangani Ose to Lead Zeitz MOCAA After Koyo Kouoh
The former MACBA director will take charge of the Cape Town museum’s artistic programme as it enters its first new chapter since the death of Koyo Kouoh

Sid Motion Gallery to Close After Ten Years in London
The South Bermondsey gallery will close this autumn, with founder Sid Motion saying its financial position no longer allows it to support its artists

Valerie Hillings to Lead Guggenheim Abu Dhabi
The North Carolina Museum of Art director returns to the project she helped shape for almost a decade ahead of the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi's opening in December
