A collaboration between the Gulbenkian Arts Centre and Free Range

The singer Maggie Nicols was a founding member of the Feminist Improvising Group in 1977 as well as being a key member of John Stevens' Spontaneous Music Ensemble and Keith Tippett's ambitious jazz-rock group, Centipede. For over 30 years she has run regular improvisation meetings called The Gatherings.

The Free Range Orchestra grew out of our series of events. They are a collective of musicians, dancers and poets with a shared love of improvisation and experimentation. Their performances combine the uncompromisingly anarchic with a celebration of creativity and community.

For this, the final show of our tenth anniversary year, Maggie Nicols will lead the orchestra in a series of adventurous and playful group improvisations.