British Council Faces Financial Peril
The British Council is in a difficult financial situation, with debts of almost £200m, and is considering transferring its art collection to the UK government.
The collection includes almost 9,000 British art works from the 20th and 21st centuries by renowned artists such as Lucian Freud, David Hockney, Tomma Abts, and John Akomfrah.
Scott McDonald, the chief executive of the British Council, stated that the organisation is in "real financial peril" and is "selling everything" to survive.
- The collection has no permanent gallery.
- Only around a fifth of the works are on display at any given time in the UK and internationally.
Author's summary: British Council in financial trouble.