The British Council and European cultural cooperation: a reputation equal to the Brexit’s turbulences

Brexit, a phenomenon of turbulences characterised by its uncertainty, represents a governance challenge for the British Council, an international British agency responsible for educational exchanges and cultural relations. The trajectory of the British Council and its relative stability in the post-referendum turbulence of 2016 context are analysed through the concepts of organisational reputation and soft power, thereby highlighting the institution's dynamic resilience strategy. Symbols, history and rhetoric associated with the British Council are key elements of the "cognitive confidence" that it can inspire in its various audiences. It gradually generates a "myth", internalized by its very staff. The British Council can then rely on the links forged with its audiences when it comes to thinking about leaving the European Union.