Francis Owusu, Carrie-Ann Leeson and Timomatic have combined forces for the Unstoppable.org movement. Photo: Alana Sudale.
An Action bus, Griffith flats and The Cook Grocer – it doesn’t get any more Canberran than the music video for ‘Power’.
It was a meeting of minds when two local leaders met up with a multi-platinum Australian performer Timomatic to collaborate on a project to build resilience and hope.
Kulture Break’s Francis Owusu, Lifeline’s Carrie-Ann Leeson and Timomatic working together – it’s unsurprising that their final project is creative, heart-warming and full of exciting dance moves.
The Unstoppable.org movement speaks through the universal movement of dance and in the words of Timomatic’s specially-penned song ‘Power’, “brings the sunlight”.
Alongside the uplifting anthem, Timomatic put together some choreography for young people to learn either alone or in a group.
“Dancing is a form of expression and this campaign is all about dancing being a call to action to be yourself.
“With the choreography and steps, it’s a starting point to move your body. Accept the way you move your body because only you move the way you move,” Timomatic said.
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For Timomatic, jumping on board was an absolute no-brainer when Francis came to him with the idea. The two have known each other for more than 20 years, with Timomatic having been one of the first dance teachers when Kulture Break began at Lanyon High.
When he was down in Canberra for the filming of the video, he also spent time at Lanyon High teaching the moves to a group of students – something he says he always enjoys doing.
The Power dances showed off their moves at the Cook Grocer. Photo: Alana Sudale.
For Timomatic, it was a bit like coming full circle and he says Canberra will always hold a special place in his heart. He moved here as a 10-month-old and later attended Narrabundah College.
As part of the Unstoppable.org movement, the three collaborated with other Canberra creatives to put together a music video filmed at The Cook Grocer.
Francis and Carrie feature alongside Timomatic – the friendly grocery store assistant whose infectious smile and dance moves spread positive vibes throughout.
It also pays homage to Tim Omaji’s own roots. He’s shown riding the Action bus to work from the flat he lives in – not far from the now-demolished Griffith flats where he lived with his parents when he moved to Canberra.
There’s also a nod to the influence of social media in young people’s lives with a young boy being mocked for posting his dancing online.
“Social media does take up a lot of these young people’s lives and when a negative experience happens online it tends to bleed out into their real life, which affects them in terms of following their dream or knowing what they want to do.
“It’s all about knowing you have that choice to keep going even in the face of adversity,” he said.
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With the last 18 months having been particularly difficult on the entertainment industry, Timomatic says he has turned to the messages included in the anthem in times of need.
“Look, I think it’s fair to say that the song is as much for me as it is for anyone else.
“It is tough, and it continues to stay tough. I’m in Sydney right now and we are in another lockdown and it’s really daunting as we don’t know what is going to happen,” he said.
Knowing that plans change, he says he tries to keep going and take it one day at a time. Just keep going.
“It’s okay if you’re crawling and not running or sprinting to where you want to go. One step at a time,” he said.
Unstoppable.org asks people to learn Timomatic’s choreographed ‘Power’ dance moves or create their own and share their experience on Facebook, Instagram or YouTube, responding to the sentence “I/we am/are Unstoppable because…”
Using the #Unstoppableorg hashtag, these moments will then be shared as part of the initiative’s community hub, encouraging others to feel inspired, take part and spread a bit of joy in the world.
Learn more about the work Unstopppable.org is doing in the community.
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