Q&A with Mike at Click Netherfield
We recently took a trip to Click Netherfield in Livingston to have a look at our prototype display cases. Whilst we were there, we caught up with Mike, the MD and owner of the company, to discuss our collaboration throughout the Harris Your Place project.
Could you provide a brief introduction to Click Netherfield and your role within the company?
Click Netherfield are specialists in providing museum display cases for projects all over the world. The company has been established over 50 years and holds a Royal Warrant from Her Majesty the Queen. I’ve been with the company for 35 years now in technical and management roles. I’m now the managing director of the company and the owner.
What sets Click Netherfield apart when it comes to designing and creating museum showcases?
We’ve worked on various museum projects all around the world. We work with different design teams and different museums and collections, so we bring vast experience and lots of potential solutions to any new project that we’re working on.
What can you say about the Click Netherfield x Harris Your Place project so far?
So, I think the best thing to say about the project so far is the collaboration that’s been, and that means that all the really important elements of the project, from the design, the security, the conservation, all these things are being considered and built into the design and the production of the cases.
How does Click Netherfield ensure the preservation and protection of the artifacts and exhibits within the showcases?
The Harris collections have obviously got some amazing collections of pieces. The way we protect that is by using materials which have been tested and that we know are safe for use in museums. We are also able to control the internal environment within the showcase so that the humidity is kept at levels which are safe for objects. And also, with the specialist types of lighting that we use, we know that we’re not going to cause any damage to objects through the light levels which are within the display cases and are carefully set and controlled to suit the specific exhibits which are inside.
Could you discuss any sustainable practices or materials used in the creation of these showcases?
One of the main ways we try to be sustainable in our business is to minimise our wastage. We do that through some clever usage of software which maximises what we can produce from sheeting materials. What we do end up with as waste we try to recycle, whether it’s steel, aluminium, MDF panels – this all goes away for recycling.
One of the major potentials for us to reuse materials is on our packaging. We obviously have to protect our cases very well, and we bring those materials back from sites and we reuse them as much as possible.
For the cases themselves, we tend to use energy efficient lighting and that’s made a huge difference to the consumption, which is probably about 20% of what it used to be for the use of the cases. In addition to that, the cases themselves are designed to last at least 20 years, so that’s not something a museum would be looking to replace for quite a long time.
Are there any particular museums or projects that have inspired Click Netherfield in their approach to creating showcases for The Harris?
I think with any exhibition of this type, it’s really the objects, the culture and the environment that dictate how the displays should be designed. Our tagline is ‘showcasing your vision’, so we take what Ralph Appelbaum’s designers have done and try to create their vision in real life, adding in not only their design intent, but also the functionality for the clients and users who will be using the cases for many years to come.
Harris Your Place
Harris Your Place is a £16 million project set to restore and reimagine the Harris for 21st-century audiences as a cultural learning space. The aim of this project is to protect the building and the architecture for future generations whilst enhancing accessibility options and positioning the Harris as a community hub for Preston and Lancashire.
Harris Your Place is made possible with support from the National Lottery Heritage Fund; Towns Fund; Preston City Council; Lancashire County Council; the Preston, South Ribble and Lancashire City Deal; DCMS; Arts Council England, public donations and a wide range of Trusts and Foundations.
The capital project is more than simply preserving this much-loved building; Harris wants to ensure that it remains a vibrant heart of the community. A place where people want to spend their time.
