Ottilia Ördög goes back to her roots to name the inspirations in her life.
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When I was at school in Romania I had a wonderful English teacher, who also taught Hungarian literature. The whole town loved this English teacher. Her lessons were full of songs and joy, so everyone learned English through music and singing. No one ever wanted to miss an English lesson taught by Magdalena. In an education system which was rather strict at the time, her approach really stood out and made a huge impact. Over the last 15 years working as a creative educator, I often find myself using these same approaches to make learning and education fun and creative. Magdalena still gets messages from her pupils, even 50 years on, to thank her for the difference she made in their lives. She gave up teaching to give me a better life. Magdalena is my mum and in 1989 the two of us moved from Transylvania to the UK, leaving everything behind. It took me quite a few years to realise that I am just like my mum. Instead of singing English folk songs, I might use beats, grime, poetry and drum and bass as tools to inspire and educate young people. The approach is still the same and the positive energy comes from the same source.
Ottilia Ördög is the organiser of Góbéfest, Manchester's Transylvanian Hungarian arts and cultural festival 13-14 May 2017.
www.gobefest.com
