Refuse takes to the streets: Company Chameleon at Bradford Festival
23 July 2026Over the weekend of 18/19 July, Company Chameleon performed Refuse at Bradford Festival, hosted by Bradford Culture Company.
Bradford Festival welcomed our dancers last weekend for two days of spectacular outdoor arts and family entertainment. The weekend combined world-class circus, street theatre, and dance performances on the streets of the city.
We talked to Alice Bonazzi, Rehearsal Director and Company Dancer, who performed in the piece to learn more about the festival.
Q1) How was Company Chameleon involved in the Bradford Festival?
We were invited to perform Refuse three times over the weekend, a piece which explores themes of migration, asylum and the way we see and experience refugees.
Q2) What was the highlight of the Festival for you?
Overall the atmosphere was super vibrant and it was lovely to connect with so many different artists and companies. We had the pleasure of getting to know a company who came all the way from Indonesia.
Q3) As Rehearsal Director, what’s involved in getting a piece like Refuse ready for an outdoor setting?
Refuse is a very physical piece, which obviously becomes even more demanding in an outdoor setting and on concrete so a lot of physical preparation is required. The set also presents its challenges as obviously the environment is not as controlled as it would be in theatre so you need to be extra careful and mindful.
Q4) How did audiences respond to Refuse on the day?
It was actually really emotional to see their reactions. Some people said it was “politics in movement”.
The festival brought together celebrated artists from across the UK and around the world. Nothing was behind closed doors; the streets were the stage, allowing audiences to wander and explore.
Refuse was performed at the heart of the city, in Centenary Square. A play on words, the performance brings home the brutal reality of how people are refused and treated like refuse, when they leave their homeland in search of a better life.
Inspired by the painting, The Raft of the Medusa (1819) by Théodore Géricault, Refuse explores the relevance of the artwork, in relation to the plight of asylum seekers today.
Directed and choreographed by Kevin Edward Turner MBE, the choreography is physically powerful and emotive. The dancers use their bodies, props and the set to explore different feelings, experiences and scenarios.
The set imaginatively transformed the landscape, and the dancers moved emotively through each scene, telling a harrowing journey where it’s hard to find hope.
We’re proud to have been involved in the festival, and hope to return again next year!
Where can you find us next?
We’ll be performing The Ultimate Player’s Handbook at Manchester Day on Sunday 26 July. Join us in St Ann’s Square at 1pm or 3:25pm, then stay for the day and enjoy live music, dance and pop-up performances across the city.
The event is free, and there’s no need to book. Find out more HERE.