Written by Tessa Barker
Ryan Foo is a well-known event producer throughout Denver, best known for his work with WeAreDenver and the Black Actors Guild, his immersive birthday parties, and unexpectedly his multiple fantasy football leagues. I got to know Ryan a little better as we discussed his beginning at the Denver School of Arts to his most recent creative projects.
“the denver underground”: Tell us about your creative background, how you got started, and how it has blossomed into what it is now.
Ryan Foo: Wow you’re making me feel kind of old. That was a long time ago. I would say that it all began at the Denver School of the Arts, where I and the rest of the members of the Black Actors Guild are alumni. This is where our creative journey began, and then after high school we all decided to drop out of college to create a business and become entrepreneurs. (I found this hilarious because I am a college student always looking for reasons to drop out. Is this a sign?) Very quickly, I realized that, personally, I am not really an actor, but I’ve always found myself around creative people, and I always had a role to play. I did the backstage, technical, director, producer role and just found my way into event production through the Denver Theater District and working in various theaters. And I’ve been doing that for seven or eight years.
“tdu”: How do you think your work elevates the Denver community, and what makes you integruel to this unique community?
Ryan Foo: I think there's a bunch of different answers to that question. The first one being that I pride myself in someone who does my best to pay artists as much as I can. I’m also an event director so I do immersive events. I host all kinds of weird birthday parties, fort building parties, dungeon and dragon themed events. (How do I get invited?) Beyond all of those gigs, there aren’t really a lot of young event producers. Not a lot of people have the experience, the respect and the connections on various fronts. I also work with groups that are traditionally marginalized, and I also work with people like “the gentrifier” or “the developer,” and I work to find a place to work in between those groups which is a sense of pride for me.
“tdu”: Taking an opposite turn, after asking you what makes you unique, who do you draw inspiration from and look up to in your field of work?
Ryan Foo: That’s hard. I would say that one of the people who certainly helped me in the event production world would be David Moke, from the Denver Theatre District. A lot of the people I look up to are people in the festival community. I have a lot of respect for the folks from REengineering (they build Burning Man projects) and they are just the cream of the crop for DIY smart folks who just make stuff for fun. I look up to all kinds of people, but if I’m being honest, there aren’t really other young event producers. I wish I had someone in that vein.
“tdu”: With the stay at home orders in place, how is your creative process being affected? Would you say you’re more or less inspired?
Ryan Foo: I fluctuate. But the great thing about the type of creative I am is that I am always fueled by how talented other people are. But I think that’s my superpower. I get to watch thousands of submissions through WeAreDenver and that cool creative content I watch everyday gets me inspired. Also, last week we gave out our first $2,200 to artists who have been on the channel, and we’re going to have more money to give out next week. My creative flex, which goes back to my answer for the first question, was just that I love paying people. As we are growing, we’ll be able to pay folks more and until I feel good about how creatives are getting paid, I won’t be making any money.
“tdu”: It seems like you’re an open book, willing to share a lot about yourself, but do you have anything that most people don’t know about you?
Ryan Foo: I’m a big fantasy football nerd, which is so silly because I’m so leftist and for social justice communities who are like “ugh football, yuck,” but the thing about all the members of the Black Actors Guild is that we all love sports. (Who would have thought?) We were some of the only kids at DSA ironically who loved sports. I run several fantasy football leagues as a commissioner, and I just love football.
“tdu”: What is your favorite creative project you’re working on right now?
Ryan Foo: The Black Actors Guild just launched a new photo series and open dialogue about healthy masculinity called “Are We Still Cool.” I’m proud to be a part of this project with the Guild and hope it can help men of all ethnic backgrounds and sexual orientations to realize how beautiful they are. The Guild has a lot of other projects in the works right now as we show our active support towards the Black Lives Matter Movement. All of our work can be found on our website.
To learn more about Ryan Foo and his mission visit his website here.
