Ryan Conarro is a media producer, theater maker, and interdisciplinary artist. He creates and facilitates experiences that are focused on story sharing and creative placemaking, from audio installations and narratives, to live theatrical events, to community narrative websites. Ryan is Co-Director of Colorado Radio for Justice, a podcast production house and 24/7 radio station serving people impacted by the criminal-legal system. And he’s the Media Arts Partner Artist at Youth on Record, Denver’s youth empowerment program through education in music and audio production.

Ryan served previously as Director of Creative Media for the University of Denver Prison Arts Initiative. As part of that role, Ryan launched and led Inside Wire: Colorado Prison Radio with a team of incarcerated audio producers across four state prison facilities. Inside Wire was recognized with a 2023 Silver Anthem Award for Human & Civil Rights and 2 Gold Signal Awards for Documentary and for Public Service & Activism. Ryan also served as visiting professor at University of Denver’s Department of Theatre in 2020-21.

Ryan’s past leadership in the arts includes 6 years as Creative Producer and Community Projects Associate at Ping Chong & Company in New York. He’s taught interdisciplinary arts and applied theatre at NYU, The New School for Drama, and the University of Alaska. He’s worked as a teaching artist and Arts Content Coach for the Alaska State Council on the Arts, the Alaska Department of Education, and the Kennedy Center Partners in Education Program.

Ryan’s work in broadcasting and audio production began in 2001, when he was Public Affairs Director for KNOM Radio in Nome, Alaska; that work continued through various collaborations with KTOO Public Media in Juneau, Alaska.

Ryan also creates original performance works, including “Bad Husband//\\Bad Homo” and “Saints of Failure,” both of which premiered at the Dixon Place HOT! Festival of Queer Culture in New York. “Saints of Failure” was recognized with an NBC OUT Queer Performer Spotlight in 2019.

Ryan earned a BFA in drama and English at NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts. For his MFA in Interdisciplinary Arts at Goddard College, Ryan’s focus of creative research included documentary practice and critical pedagogy. 

To check out some of Ryan’s work, please visit www.ryanconarro.com.