Little Local Conversations

Matt Hanna
  • 5.0 (5)
  • Society & Culture
  • Updated Weekly

Discover the people, places, stories, and ideas of Watertown, MA. Visit littlelocalconversations.com to see all episodes, upcoming events, and more. Join Matt Hanna as he has conversations with various businesses owners, community leaders, creatives, and other interesting folks in Watertown to learn about what they do and get to know a bit about the people behind the work.Sign up for the email newsletter to know when new episodes are out: https://mailchi.mp/1ffcb9f6801e/newsletter-signup

  1. 5d ago

    Local Government Update, August 2026

    Discover the latest Watertown government moments, stories, and numbers in this relaxed but informative conversation with Tyler Cote, the Director of Communications and Community Engagement for the City of Watertown, and Victoria Weichel from WCA-TV. See links to things mentioned in this episode at LittleLocalConversations.com. Support the show Head on over to www.littlelocalconversations.com to check out all the episodes, events, and everything else going on.  Sign up for the Little Local Conversations email newsletter Follow on Instagram: @littlelocalconversations Upcoming events! Click here to see upcoming live podcast events.

    Local Government Update, August 2026

  2. Jul 31

    Creative Chats Conference, Panel 2: Organizations & Systems

    How do we support a healthy local arts ecosystem? This was the question that drove the first Creative Chats Conference that happened at the Mosesian Center for the Arts on June 4th, 2026. This recording is from the second panel of the event that focused on shaping local arts organization and systems. The interactive panel featured 3 panelists and their questions: Allie Fry (Programming Librarian, Watertown Free Public Library) - How do we make it easier for artists to pitch their ideas (in the right way to the right places)? DeWitt Henry(Writer and Watertown Lit Squad Organizer) -How do we garner attention for forms of art beyond the most popular local mediums?  Jan Taylor (Fundraising Strategist & Consultant) - What does it mean to be creative if you’re not the one making the art? The conversation was also aided by Sheri Kennedy, a local artist and graphic facilitator, who graphically notated the panel discussions to provide us with some visual overviews and notes to see as we went along. The episode image features the drawing she did while listening to this panel. Find the first panel discussion on Art & Money here. Find all the Creative Chats episodes here. Support the show Head on over to www.littlelocalconversations.com to check out all the episodes, events, and everything else going on.  Sign up for the Little Local Conversations email newsletter Follow on Instagram: @littlelocalconversations Upcoming events! Click here to see upcoming live podcast events.

    Creative Chats Conference, Panel 2: Organizations & Systems

  3. Jul 22

    The Helping Hand Roundtable, July 2026

    Welcome to The Helping Hand Roundtable! In this episode you'll hear stories of some of the amazing work being done in Watertown to help those in need in our community along with some of the great resources you might not be aware of. The discussion featured 6 local leaders: Bevin Croft, Chair, World in Watertown Gary Beatty, Executive Director, Watertown Boys and Girls Club Janet Saied, Program Director, Project Literacy Sophia Suarez-Friedman, Program Director, Wayside Youth and Family Support Network Stephanie Venizelos, Assistant Director of Human Services, City of Watertown Tia Tilson, Executive Director, Watertown Community Foundation Links for more info and to get involved: Safe Space Project, Unity Breakfast, Yard Signs and other projects at World in Watertown Info on all programs at Watertown Boys and Girls Club Info on all programs and volunteering at Project Literacy Info on all programs at Wayside Youth and Family Support Network Info for Live Well Watertown, Farmers' Market, Food Assistance Programs, and Human Services Department Info for grants and more at Watertown Community Foundation Support the show Head on over to www.littlelocalconversations.com to check out all the episodes, events, and everything else going on.  Sign up for the Little Local Conversations email newsletter Follow on Instagram: @littlelocalconversations Upcoming events! Click here to see upcoming live podcast events.

    The Helping Hand Roundtable, July 2026

  4. Jul 17

    Local Government Update, July 2026

    Discover the latest Watertown government moments, stories, and numbers in this relaxed but informative conversation with Tyler Cote, the Director of Communications and Community Engagement for the City of Watertown, and Victoria Weichel from WCA-TV. See links to things mentioned in this episode at LittleLocalConversations.com. Support the show Head on over to www.littlelocalconversations.com to check out all the episodes, events, and everything else going on.  Sign up for the Little Local Conversations email newsletter Follow on Instagram: @littlelocalconversations Upcoming events! Click here to see upcoming live podcast events.

    Local Government Update, July 2026

  5. Jul 14

    Event Highlight - Treaty Day 250

    Did you know that the United States' first international treaty was signed right here in Watertown? For this episode, I sat down with a group of people involved with putting together the big Treaty Day 250 commemoration happening on Saturday, July 18th at the Mosesian Center for the Arts starting at 2pm. We chat about the history of the Treaty of Watertown and what to expect at this year's special Treaty Day. Visit TreatyDay250.com for more details.  Guests: Erin Rathe, Senior Planner for Economic Development, City of Watertown Joyce Kelly, Board Member, Historical Society of Watertown Marilynne Roach, President, Historical Society of Watertown Matt Jatkola, Associate Executive Director, Mosesian Center for the Arts Tyler Cote, Director of Communications and Community Engagement, City of Watertown Support the show Head on over to www.littlelocalconversations.com to check out all the episodes, events, and everything else going on.  Sign up for the Little Local Conversations email newsletter Follow on Instagram: @littlelocalconversations Upcoming events! Click here to see upcoming live podcast events.

    Event Highlight - Treaty Day 250

  6. Jul 9

    Creative Chats Conference, Panel 1: Art & Money

    How do we support a healthy local arts ecosystem? This was the question that drove the first Creative Chats Conference that happened at the Mosesian Center for the Arts on June 4th, 2026. This recording is from one panel of the event that focused on the intersection of art and money. The interactive panel featured 3 panelists and their questions: Cat Bennett (Visual Artist and Teacher) - How can artists inspire the public to learn more about art and feel confident, even excited, about buying it? Matt Jatkola (Associate Executive Director, Mosesian Center for the Arts) - How do we reinforce the value of art in a culture that often expects it to be cheap or free? Jan Taylor (Fundraising Strategist & Consultant) - How do we fund art creatively? The conversation was also aided by Sheri Kennedy, a local artist and graphic facilitator, who graphically notated the panel discussions to provide us with some visual overviews and notes to see as we went along. The episode image features the drawing she did while listening to this panel on art and money. Support the show Head on over to www.littlelocalconversations.com to check out all the episodes, events, and everything else going on.  Sign up for the Little Local Conversations email newsletter Follow on Instagram: @littlelocalconversations Upcoming events! Click here to see upcoming live podcast events.

    Creative Chats Conference, Panel 1: Art & Money

  7. Jul 3

    Episode 78: Theo Offei (Watertown City Councilor-At-Large)

    Meet Theo Offei! He's the most recent addition to the Watertown City Council as a Councilor-At-Large. We sat down for a wide-ranging conversation including: -Memorizing Obama speeches as a boy in Italy and other thoughts on growing up in Reggio Emilia -Making his way to the US through community college then earning a scholarship to transfer fully to USC -His time in the startup and venture capital worlds (and trying to convince the organizers of Bonnaroo and Coachella to use his product) -How family and interactions with "cool" things in the city led him to Watertown -Why he got involved with public service through the Residents' Advisory Committee and how that gave him the itch to run for City Council -And then what it was like getting to know neighbors through campaigning, the reality of learning the ropes once elected, and his message to Watertowners to get involved Reach out to Theo (and other councilors) at watertown-ma.gov/city-council Support the show Head on over to www.littlelocalconversations.com to check out all the episodes, events, and everything else going on.  Sign up for the Little Local Conversations email newsletter Follow on Instagram: @littlelocalconversations Upcoming events! Click here to see upcoming live podcast events.

    Episode 78: Theo Offei (Watertown City Councilor-At-Large)

  8. Jun 26

    Creative Chats With Daniel E. Pritchard (Should Art Be Difficult?)

    Should art be difficult?  That was the question Dan Pritchard brought to our Creative Chats conversation in May 2026. The Creative Chats series features (almost) monthly live podcast events put on by Little Local Conversations and hosted at the Mosesian Center for the Arts. Daniel E. Pritchard is a poet, translator, and essayist, as well as the founding editor of The Critical Flame (criticalflame.org), whose work has been published in the Lily Poetry Review, The Arts Fuse, Pangyrus, Salamander, and elsewhere. Find him at danielpritchard.net.  Listen to other Creative Chats episodes. Support the show Head on over to www.littlelocalconversations.com to check out all the episodes, events, and everything else going on.  Sign up for the Little Local Conversations email newsletter Follow on Instagram: @littlelocalconversations Upcoming events! Click here to see upcoming live podcast events.

    Creative Chats With Daniel E. Pritchard (Should Art Be Difficult?)
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About

Discover the people, places, stories, and ideas of Watertown, MA. Visit littlelocalconversations.com to see all episodes, upcoming events, and more. Join Matt Hanna as he has conversations with various businesses owners, community leaders, creatives, and other interesting folks in Watertown to learn about what they do and get to know a bit about the people behind the work.Sign up for the email newsletter to know when new episodes are out: https://mailchi.mp/1ffcb9f6801e/newsletter-signup

Information

  • Creator
    Matt Hanna
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    144
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Little Local Conversations
  • Show Website
    Little Local Conversations