 In 1978 Nicols recorded an album with the vocalist Julie Tippetts called Sweet and S'Ours on the FMP label.By the late 1970s, Nicols had become an active feminist, and co-founded the Feminist Improvising Group, which performed across Europe, with Lindsay Cooper.She also organised "Contradictions", a women's workshop performance group that began in 1980 and dealt with improvisation and other modes of performance in a variety of media including music and dance.