Feminist Improvising Group

From HitStory, the pop encyclopedia of School of Rock · Artist

The Feminist Improvising Group, FIG for short, was an international ensemble of five to eight players for free improvisation and experimental music. The Scottish singer Maggie Nicols and the English bassoonist and composer Lindsay Cooper founded it in London in 1977. They discussed the idea at a meeting of the musicians' union. According to Cooper there was a lot of improvisation, but no women took part, so they decided to do it themselves. The debut took place in October 1977 at the Music for Socialism festival at the Almost Free Theatre. The group then toured Europe several times, in the late 1970s and early 1980s.

Music and breakthrough

FIG was the first women's improvisation group to perform in public. The members had different backgrounds and different levels of experience, and the concerts combined music and theatre about everyday women's issues. Lesbian sexuality was also part of the performances. Many male improvisers reacted dismissively and found the technique inadequate. Some feminists, on the other hand, found it too virtuosic and abstract. The audience mostly responded positively. In 1983 FIG continued as the European Women's Improvising Group, after pressure had arisen to tone down the name. The album Another Evening at Logos, from 2015, contains recordings from 1974, 1979 and 1981.

Influence

The group was influential for the second generation of improvisers and led to more women's groups and events. It introduced new audiences to improvisation and to feminism.

Listening

Discography

Studio albums

• 2015Another Evening at Logos 1974 79 81 / Record One

In School of Rock

The chapters, maps and magazine stories of School of Rock are currently available in Dutch only.

• After Hours: Session 3^NL Reader