One of Canberraโs finest entertainment exports, Tim โTimomaticโ Omaji has had great success across numerous platforms since entering the public consciousness as a performer some 10 years ago.
From releasing chart topping singles to dancing up a storm on national TV to treading the boards in a number of touring stage productions, Omaji has reached some dizzying heights in his career so far.
He tells Canberra Daily part of the reason heโs remained grounded is his time at Kulture Break while growing up in Canberra.
โI remember it as this time of endless possibilities, there was nothing to lose,โ he says.
โDance was on the up and what we were able to do with a handful of people was to generate this energy through dancing that was very inclusive and very attractive to both kids and adults.
โBecause there wasnโt a crazy amount to do, it made me focus more as there wasnโt much distraction โฆ I definitely benefitted from that.โ
He visited Canberra earlier this month to spend some time around Kulture Break, dropping in on a number of workshops and classes and mentoring current students.
โWe surprised some kids while they were doing the sessions which was fun โฆ Iโve also been working with some aspiring young dancers and musicians on mentoring and really encouraging them to keep going and take it to the next level.โ
He says the most rewarding aspect of mentoring is seeing a student realise something that they never thought was possible about themselves.
โWhen they realise that thereโs more in them than they thought, thatโs just the most important thing in the world.
โThat mentality, or the breaking of a mentality if you will, just permeates through their entire life. I like that effect, and again, Iโve seen it happen for myself.โ
The advice he passes on comes down to the age-old adage, you get out what you put in.
โI try to instill that and say โguys, if you want more youโve got to give moreโ.
โTheyโve come to this level and thatโs great, but I then ask them โwhat are you striving for?โ, and tell them to keep going until they get it.โ
Omaji says while Kulture Break has transformed and undergone significant changes since he left, the organisationโs message and core function have never wavered.
โItโs grown and taken different shapes โฆ but I think the ethos of Kulture Break has stayed, which is โyou donโt become somebody, you are somebodyโ.
โKulture Break reinforces the fact that people are special the way they are, and that weโre here to facilitate their dreams of honing in on their craft.
โIf anything, I think the Kulture Break ethos is you leave a better person than you came in, and it almost is a guarantee given the people youโre exposed to,โ he says.
More stories:
