Farrar to lead Barcroft Studios

Barcroft Studios’ creative director John Farrar is stepping up to lead the Future-owned UK prodco as chief creative officer, replacing Alex Morris.

John Farrar

In addition to his role overseeing Barcroft Studios, which produces content for clients including Channel 4, Discovery and A+E Networks, Farrar will continue to lead sister prodco Future Studios.

Morris, formerly the company’s chief creative officer will depart the business in April after 13 years at Barcroft Studios (formerly Barcroft Media) to pursue new opportunities.

Katie O’Reilly, previously Barcroft Studios’ finance director has been appointed operations director and will report into Claire MacLellan the Future Plc COO.

Farrar joined Barcroft Studios in 2019 from Nerd TV, the production business he co-founded with Jago Lee and Charlie Parsons in 2010, and which was bought by Red Arrow Studios in 2012.

Since joining Barcroft Studios, his exec producer credits include Two Sisters One Body (Channel 4), Biggest Little Christmas Showdown (HGTV) and mental health docu-series Mind Yourself for Snapchat.

Magazine and digital publishing firm Future paid £23.5m (US$30m) to buy Barcroft Media in November 2019.  The company’s founder Sam Barcroft departed the business in September last year, to be replaced by Morris.

Farrar said “It’s time to embark on the next chapter of the Barcroft story and I’m excited to take the reins at this time of significant growth and opportunity.

“Alex has been at the creative heart of Barcroft Studios for well over a decade. He’s helped the company grow from a three-man picture agency in Tottenham into a global multi-platform specialist that connects with over 500 million people a month. We all wish him well in his next endeavour.”

Alex Morris said: “Barcroft Studios has been my home for the past 13 years and after overseeing its successful integration into Future plc and its most successful year ever, I feel now’s the perfect time to step aside and look for a new challenge. The company is in great hands with John at the helm and I’ve no doubt the business will go from strength to strength under his leadership”.