Julian Harrison Consultant

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about

After working in academia and then in rugby league development and promotion, I have spent the last twenty years of my life working in community engagement, development and in the specific areas of equality, diversity, community cohesion and human rights. Indeed, I am  recognised and respected for this work both in Leicestershire and wider afield. Originally trained as a musician – I gained a music scholarship to Gordonstoun and then studied music at the University of Durham – I went on to pursue other interests gaining further qualifications from the Universities of Leicester and Leeds. However, my ongoing passion for social justice and history resulted in an immersion in exploring themes related to the Holocaust. During the course of the last fifteen years or so I have spent many weeks visiting Holocaust related sites in Germany, the Czech Republic, Latvia, Lithuania, Austria, France and Poland, undertaking research and taking photographs. I established Holocaust Memorial Day observance at my place of work, producing annual exhibitions and lectures based on my own research material. My identity as a passionate campaigner for human rights also stems from my own mental illness (I have clinical depression, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder and Anxiety Disorder) and the life of my brother, Danny, who had Down Syndrome and who sadly passed away in 1996. I am also autistic. I devote a lot of my time to encouraging a greater awareness and understanding of mental ill health and autism, offering advice and guidance to those directly affected and addressing the stigma and discrimination that still seems to accompany both mental illness and neurodevelopmental conditions. I have spoken in the media, to organisations, students and in public on these matters and do lots of work from a lived experience perspective in universities, for mental health organisations and others. I live in Wigston Harcourt, on the edge of the city of Leicester. I am married (to Lesley) and have four children – Leomi, Luke, Joel and Ellory – and two grandchildren, Lily and Lenny

The Educator

I’m a great believer that we ignore the lessons of the past at our peril and that knowledge is strength!

Accordingly, my educational programme is designed around the Holocaust and other elements of Twentieth Century history and the issues of discrimination, hate crime, community relations and genocide. With the Holocaust an essential part of the formal education syllabus, what I offer goes much further than standard history lessons. I look at the legacy of the Holocaust, its impact and consequences and its relevance to us today. Using photographs, stories and my own experience of travelling to historic sites, I can bring a much valued insight not only into what happened and why, but also how we need today to be ever vigilant and primed for action.

If we want to address crucial issues and change the society in which we life, we need to know what weapons we can use from the armoury of available resources to facilitate such a transformation and make a real difference. From knowledge of the law and how it is applied, to awareness of how social issues impact on different communities, to techniques of what I call ‘active citizenship’ (campaigning, speaking, petitioning, holding organisations to account and so on and so forth), I am able to bring a much needed refreshing perspective on how every one of us can be both influential and empowered. Using a variety of techniques (including mentoring and peer support), this is work that I am passionate about and am keen to bring to new audiences.