Canning House is a foundation dedicated to promote understanding and engagement between Britain and the Hispanic and Luso-Brazilian world, through presentations, events, art and educational activities.
Founded in 1943, Canning House serves as a forum for debate and discussion of the current affairs of the region. It brings together persons from a broad spectrum of backgrounds – business, politics, financial services, academia, the arts – who share a common interest in all things Iberian and Latin American.
Canning House consists of the Hispanic and Luso-Brazilian Council and Canning House Limited. The former was registered in 1973 as a company limited by guarantee and having no share capital. It is a non-political, non-profit organisation registered as a charity.
The Canning House mission is to be the UK’s leading forum for information, contacts and debate on Latin American politics, economy and business, and to celebrate and promote awareness in the UK of the languages, cultures and history of Latin America, Spain and Portugal.
Named for George Canning (1770–1827), British Foreign Secretary, 1807–1822, and briefly Prime Minister in 1827. During his early period in the Foreign Office (1807–9) Canning became deeply involved in the affairs of Spain, Portugal and Latin America. He was largely responsible for a number of decisions that greatly affected the future course of Latin American history.