From an empty corner to a Summer Bar

From an empty corner to a Summer Bar

The MadMax campaign ended about a week ago, but one of the volunteers decided to share their experience of working on the project.

As part of the MaMax campaign, one space we worked on in Karatasou Park was the Summer Bar. Looking at the before and after pictures now, it is honestly hard to believe how much the area changed in such a short time. At the beginning, it was just a quiet and quite empty corner of the park. It did not really feel like a place where people would stop, sit or spend time together. Then, little by little, the space started to come alive. Volunteers cleaned the area, moved materials, painted, built, decorated and tried to turn many different ideas into something real.

People worked relentlessly throughout the process. There was always something that needed to be done, whether it was carrying wood, preparing recycled materials, painting details, fixing parts of the structure or simply helping someone else finish a task. Even when everyone was tired, sweaty or covered in paint, the work continued.

Swami was also a very important part of this process. She put a lot of effort into the Summer Bar and was constantly involved in the practical work, decoration and general transformation of the space. Her energy, creativity and willingness to help made a real difference. She was one of the people who kept working and contributing, even during the more tiring parts of the process.

What made the experience special was not only the final result, but also the people behind it. Volunteers and Erasmus participants from different countries worked side by side, shared ideas and helped each other. We all came with different languages, cultures, skills and ways of doing things, but we slowly learned how to work together.

Sometimes communication was chaotic, plans changed and not everything worked on the first try. Still, that was also part of the experience. People found solutions, adapted and continued. For me, this was a real example of community building, not something discussed only in theory, but something created through everyday cooperation.

Art and graffiti played a big role in giving the Summer Bar its identity. The colours, paintings, handmade signs, creative details and reused materials made the space feel unique. It was never supposed to look perfect, polished or commercial. Instead, it became something informal, artistic and relaxed, connected to the atmosphere of the park and to the people who worked there.

The process was sometimes messy and exhausting. There were long days, dirty clothes, changing plans and many small problems to solve. But there was also music, conversation, laughter and the satisfaction of watching the space slowly change in front of us.

Every new painted section, handmade object and completed detail made the transformation more visible. At some point, it stopped looking like a simple construction area and started feeling like a real social space.

In the end, the Summer Bar became much more than a physical structure. It became a place created through teamwork, creativity and shared effort. It is now a space where people can sit, talk, listen to music, meet others and enjoy the summer atmosphere of Karatasou Park.

The before and after pictures show the physical change very clearly, but they cannot completely show the hours of work, the tiredness, the jokes, the teamwork and the friendships behind it. For me, that is what made the Summer Bar one of the most memorable parts of the MadMax campaign.

Article written by Senihcem Gezgin