Feminist Improvising Group
| Company type | Music ensemble |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1977 in London, England |
| Founder | Maggie Nicols, Lindsay Cooper |
| Headquarters | London , England |
Area served | Europe |
| Products | Free improvisation, avant-garde jazz, experimental music performances |
The Feminist Improvising Group (FIG) was an international ensemble of five to eight musicians specializing in free improvising within the avant-garde jazz and experimental music genres. Established in London in 1977 by Scottish vocalist Maggie Nicols and English bassoonist/composer Lindsay Cooper, the group made its first appearance at the "Music for Socialism" festival held at the Almost Free Theatre in London that October. Throughout the late 1970s and early 1980s, FIG embarked on multiple tours across Europe.
As the pioneering women-only collective performing public improvisation, FIG confronted the male-centric improvisation community. Its membership comprised women from varied backgrounds and levels of expertise, blending musical expression with theatrical elements to spotlight issues pertinent to everyday women. Their performances also embraced themes of "lesbian sexuality," which, according to Canadian scholar Julie Dawn Smith, "queered" the improvisational arena and called for a "queer listening" approach.
Despite facing skepticism from male improvisers who doubted their technical skills and questioned their unconventional treatment of tradition, FIG generally received favorable audience reactions. Some feminists critiqued their work as "excessively virtuosic and abstract," yet a review in Musics lauded their debut as "a welcome contrast to the previous performances [of the evening] which had been singularly humourless."
In 1983, responding to external pressures to moderate their name, FIG transformed into the European Women's Improvising Group (EWIG). The original group significantly impacted the second-wave improvisation movement by inspiring all-women ensembles and events, while also playing an educational role by introducing new audiences to both improvisation and feminist perspectives.
History
Founded in London during 1977, the Feminist Improvising Group (FIG) was initiated by Scottish vocalist Maggie Nicols (known from Centipede) and English bassoonist/composer Lindsay Cooper (affiliated with Henry Cow). The concept emerged during a meeting of a musicians' union with the goal of establishing an all-female improvising ensemble to address women's underrepresentation in improvisational music. Their commitment to feminist and lesbian activism was a driving force behind this endeavor. Midway through 1977, after being invited by organizers of the "Music for Socialism" festival to increase female representation, Nicols and Cooper formed a five-member group featuring cellist/bassist Georgie Born (Henry Cow), vocalist/pianist Cathy Williams (Rag Doll), and trumpeter Corinne Liensol (Jam Today).
The group's inaugural performance took place on 30 October 1977 at London's Almost Free Theatre during the "Music for Socialism" festival. Although initially intended to be called the "Women's Improvising Group," festival organizers billed them as the "Feminist Improvising Group," a title they adopted enthusiastically. Their act merged music with comedy, centering on women's lived experiences and everyday subjects through an anarchic and theatrical approach that incorporated props alongside improvisation.
As trailblazers in women-only public improvisation, FIG challenged prevailing norms with politically infused theatrical shows that utilized domestic items such as vacuum cleaners and cooking pots. They satirized traditional female roles within music while dismantling conventional performer-audience boundaries via interactive engagement, fostering inclusivity within improvisational practice. The group introduced the concept of "social virtuosity," prioritizing communication between performers and listeners.
During the late 1970s through early 1980s, FIG toured extensively across Europe, appearing at festivals in cities including Paris, Berlin, Rome, Copenhagen, Stockholm, and Reykjavík. Swiss pianist Irène Schweizer joined following an invitation from Cooper in 1978. Other occasional contributors were filmmaker Sally Potter (saxophone/vocals), trombonist Annemarie Roelofs, vocalist Frankie Armstrong, woodwind artist Angèle Veltmeijer, and saxophonist/guitarist Françoise Dupety. Some concerts featured up to eight female performers.
In 1980, Nicols left FIG to establish another all-female collective named Contradictions. By 1983, under Schweizer’s guidance, FIG rebranded as The European Women's Improvising Group (EWIG), partly due to external demands that the original name was excessively political. EWIG's lineup included Schweizer, Cooper, Roelofs, double bassist Joëlle Léandre, and singer Annick Nozati.
Analysis
During the 1970s, free improvisation was predominantly dominated by men, which resulted in the marginalization of female musicians. Canadian scholar Julie Dawn Smith observed a notable absence of opportunities for women concerning issues of sexual difference, gender identity, and sexuality within free jazz and improvisational music. Born highlighted that women's musical contributions were frequently considered unsuitable or actively suppressed. The formation of the Feminist Improvising Group (FIG) in 1977 directly confronted this male hegemony. FIG brought together white and Black women from a range of sexual orientations and social backgrounds. Nicols sought to incorporate women with diverse experiences and skill levels, viewing these variations as assets rather than liabilities. Critic Dana Reason Myers emphasized that their music deliberately integrated the political dimensions of being women, musicians, improvisers, and members of society.
Although some participants lacked traditional musical training, their strong political commitment enabled them to quickly embrace improvisational practices. The inherently collaborative nature of free improvisation allowed them to engage without concern for technical mastery. Born noted that FIG’s dynamic differed from mixed-gender ensembles; the absence of men fostered an environment with reduced competition and increased openness among women. FIG also incorporated expressions of lesbian sexuality into their performances through gestures such as "fights" and "hugs," thereby challenging prevailing taboos around physical contact between musicians. Smith argued that this refusal to conform to heterosexual norms effectively queered the improvisational space.
Male heterosexual improvisers frequently disregarded women in the audience as irrelevant, but FIG altered this dynamic by addressing themes significant to women through both social commentary and technical skill. This approach attracted female listeners who might otherwise have dismissed free improvisation. Women unfamiliar with its technical aspects still connected with performances that foregrounded women's bodies and sounds for the enjoyment of other women. Born later reflected on internal political complexities within FIG related to feminist and lesbian identities, noting that their "queer" performances were multifaceted and sometimes contentious.
Nicolas Soames described FIG’s sound as characterized by "hard trombone chords" and "angular bursts," occasionally shifting into blues-inspired dirges or tangos—styles that set them apart from male groups’ more abstract explorations. American academic David G. Pier highlighted their use of extreme timbres from free jazz to amplify performances imbued with queer sexuality and feminist shock tactics.
Smith depicted FIG’s concerts as a "sonic negotiation of eroticism, resistance, liberation, joy, pleasure, power, and agency," engaging audiences through a queer lens while creating moments of shared laughter among women.
Reception
Roelofs observed that critiques of the Feminist Improvising Group (FIG) tended to be polarized: reviewers were either highly favorable or strongly critical, with little middle ground. Nicols and Roelofs reported minimal support from male improvisers, who often disparaged their technical abilities and referred to them primarily as women rather than as musicians. FIG’s ethos—promoting the idea that "anyone can do it"—provoked resistance from those prioritizing "technical virtuosity" and "improvisational competence." Nicols recalled complaints about FIG’s "irreverent attitude toward technique and tradition," while Smith suggested some felt intimidated by "unsupervised and unpredictable women performing on stage." Schweizer recounted that after FIG’s appearance at the 1979 Total Music Meeting in Berlin, the organizer questioned her decision to include them, stating they "can't play" and were "not good enough." Avant-garde artist Alexander von Schlippenbach also criticized FIG, asserting he could easily find many men who played better.
Guitarist Eugene Chadbourne linked the lack of support for FIG to a broader exclusion of female musicians, proposing that some men felt alienated by their absence on stage. Schweizer believed many male improvisers perceived FIG’s use of humor as threatening because it contrasted with their own more serious demeanor. Born described FIG’s humor as "iconoclastic and surreal," noting its nonjudgmental nature. Regarding FIG’s status as an all-women group, Nicols pointed out the irony in men questioning their exclusion when male-only ensembles were rarely challenged.
Certain feminist audiences criticized FIG for being "too virtuosic and abstract." At a Women's Festival held at The Drill Hall in London, numerous women unfamiliar with free music labeled FIG as "elitist" and "inaccessible," which frustrated the group given their expectation of support.
Nevertheless, FIG garnered positive responses from both male and female attendees at concerts. Nicols recalled early audience members from lesbian communities who appreciated their performances despite differing musical preferences. A review in Musics magazine commended FIG’s set for providing a refreshing contrast to previously humorless shows. Cooper recounted a female filmmaker’s remark: "I don't know what on earth you're doing but I like it."
Influence
The Feminist Improvising Group (FIG), along with its successor The European Women's Improvising Group, served as a catalyst for the emergence of numerous women-only improvisational ensembles and related events. In 1980, Maggie Nicols established Contradictions, a group inspired by FIG’s model. Founding members included Nicols herself, Jackie Lansley, and Sylvia Hallett, with Irène Schweizer and Joëlle Léandre joining them for their debut concert. Over time, Contradictions transformed into a women's workshop under Nicols’ leadership, welcoming participants of all backgrounds. Schweizer played a key role in organizing the Canaille festivals, which led to the creation of the inaugural International Women's Jazz Festival for Improvised Music held in Frankfurt in 1986. During the early 1990s, Nicols, Schweizer, and Léandre collaborated to form Les Diaboliques, a theatrical and satirical improvisation trio that produced three albums between 1994 and 1998.
Nicols characterized FIG as having an immensely significant impact on the development of the second wave of improvisational music. Léandre recounted her astonishment upon witnessing an all-female lineup during her first FIG experience in Paris. Beyond performance, FIG played an educational role by introducing free improvisation to women unfamiliar with the style and by presenting feminist viewpoints to male audiences.
Live albums
- Feminist Improvising Group (1979, CT)
- Recordings captured live during concerts in Copenhagen (April 1978), Stockholm (August 1978), and Reykjavík (November 1978)
Compilations
- Various artists: Bara Brudar (1978, LP)
- Contains one live FIG track recorded at the Musik Från Kvinnofestivalen in Stockholm (August 1978)
- Various artists: Another Evening at Logos, 1974/79/81 (2015, 2xLP)
- Features a FIG live performance from the IXth International Multi Media Festival held in Ghent, Belgium (February 1979)
Members
- Maggie Nicols – vocals
- Lindsay Cooper – bassoon, oboe, sopranino saxophone, piano
- Georgie Born – cello, bass guitar
- Corinne Liensol – trumpet
- Cathy Williams – keyboards, vocals
- Irène Schweizer – piano, drums
- Sally Potter – vocals, alto saxophone
- Annemarie Roelofs – trombone, violin
- Frankie Armstrong – vocals
- Angèle Veltmeijer – flute, tenor saxophone, soprano saxophone
- Françoise Dupety – alto saxophone, guitar