Many will know Andrez Harriott as a member nineties British RnB band Damage who hits included Love II Love and Ghetto Romance but after the band parted ways for the first time in 2001 the London-born singer had to make a decision about what to do with the rest of his life.
Andrez decided it was time to learn and as a result he achieved a first-class honours BSc degree in criminology and sociology from London's South Bank University, studying while working full time and later he obtained a Master’s Degree in Consulting and Leading in Organisations.
This from a lad who failed his GCSE's. "I completely immersed myself in understanding how criminology and sociology work in partnership, to try to reduce young people offending," Revealed Andrez.
As a qualified Criminologist, Sociologist and Organisational Consultant, Andrez founded his company The Liminality Group in 2011 which works with young people and young adults and offers early intervention and prevention programmes,
Andrez's most recent project was his ‘Engage, Influence, Inspire’ Programme for Secondary Schools that engaged young people in workshops who were considered by education authorities to be at risk of exclusion. Thanks to his musical background Andrez found a unique way to engage with the young people.
Leah Marriott : Tell us about your recent Inspires school tour and how you developed the idea...
Andrez Harriott : Following my music career with Damage, I became a Criminologist and Sociologist and then did my Masters in Organisational Consultancy. I spent nearly a decade working in a youth offending service and then started my own organisation The Liminality Group.
We have since worked with over 600 children in prison and a further 500 in local schools; targeting the children who are most at risk of permanent exclusion.
L: What type of activities did you deliver in the workshops?
A: The workshops provided deterrent messages to children using the stories of hundreds of children that we have worked with in prison.
The workshop was entitled “letters from Inside”.
L: How long have you been running The Liminality Group? And, how did it start?
A: We have been running for even years and it began as a response to me leaving the youth offending service and recognising that a new cohort of children were offending and required contemporary psychologically informed interventions to address their triggers to offending. We also recognised that staff needed training and to date have trained in excess of 500 prison officers and Governors.
L: How did you manage studying for your qualifications around working and now back performing with Damage?
A: It’s not easy but it has been worth it. Many late nights and long weekends in hibernation but I did it!
L: What do your bandmates and family think of your career? They must be proud.
A: Very proud and supportive.
For more information on Andrez's work follow The Liminality Group Instagram
