The Gathering is a floating population of improvisers in various media but mostly music by happenstance. Gatherings are unstructured and non-conceptual, about collective interplay rather than jamming (ie. not a string of solos over rhythm section) although in practice it is open to go anywhere, depending on who with what influences are actually present at the time, ever-changing anyway. As The Gathering was founded about 20 years ago by Maggie Nicols, dancer and vocalising performer extraordinaire, vocalists, dancers and women are especially welcome. We also enjoy the company of visual and performance artists, and other spontaneous expressionists. (Text Frank Charlton)