'There is Room in the Bag of Stars' Terrace, 4 Frederick Terrace, London, E8 4EW. Preview Thursday 9th July, 6-8.30pm Open Saturdays and Sundays only, 12-6pm Exhibition runs from 11th to 26th July 2026 There is Room in the Bag of Stars' takes its title from Ursula K. Le Guin's essay 'The Carrier Bag Theory of Fiction' (1986) in which Le Guin presents the anti-heroic historical narrative of the bag as the first cultural device. Suggesting that seductive stories of spears and violence have led humanity to an unnatural world-conquering situation, she argues for a life story over the traditional killer story. Fiction, she tells us, can hold diverse, interconnected narratives rather than focusing on a single, heroic, and linear conflict. Artists in the Pearls Collective respond to this provocation, through their respective painting practices. Each piece drawing upon the idea of painting as a metaphorical carrier for ideas. A quietly radical retelling which foregrounds the unheroic and vital narratives we ignore at our peril. The Pearls is a collective of twenty women painters from across the North of England with a shared commitment to the critical discourse in contemporary painting. Founded by Jayne Simpson of Birley Studios, The Pearls began as a series of symposiums to encourage dialogue and mutual support, the group reflects the vitality of women's painting in the North today. Exhibiting artists: Abigail Hampsey Alison Critchlow Fiona Stirling Hannah Wooll Helen Thomas Ingrid Christie Jayne Simpson Jen Orpin Joanna Whittle Kate Jacob Katie Tomlinson Lela Harris Mandy Payne Matilda Wainwright Nancy Collantine Roberta Cialfi Ruth Murray Sarah Feinmann Sarah Grant Susan Gunn