walae hayek /wa-laa’ hi-yek/ [in arabic: ولاء الحايك ] is a public health practitioner and cultural worker whose work stems from the urge and obligation to realize a radical re-imagination of our material conditions. Her personal practice explores articulations of decolonial and relational aesthetics.
walae has many years of experience in public policy development, civic engagement, and cultural planning and placemaking. Her work has spanned across industries including healthcare, public health, and arts and culture. She has authored and advocated for state level legislation around expanded Medicaid access, behavioral healthcare, birthing care, and harm reduction practices. walae has also organized and continues to mobilize around dismantling the military-industrial complex, including leading a campaign focused on state pension divestment from weapons of mass destruction.
walae founded and continues to lead ROYA, a community non-profit organization focused on creative community building and cultural placemaking. ROYA produces events, workshops, conversations, exhibitions, and community gatherings dedicated to radical cultural placemaking and public creative programming that centers communities of the global majority. In her role at ROYA, walae has also spearheaded cultural planning, placemaking, and public arts programming for the City of Boston Mayor’s Office of Arts and Culture (MOAC), Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce, Boston University, Boston Society for Architecture, YouthBuild Boston, Brookline Arts Center, New England Museum Association, Tufts University, and many more.
Most recently, walae has served as an advisor to MOAC for the Un-Monument initiative and strategic planning facilitator for the Artists-in-Residence (AiR) program redesign. walae has also served on the board of the West End House Boys and Girls Club, and on the steering committees for Allston-Brighton Health Collaborative (ABHC), and The Fenway Artist Cohort at 401 Park.
walae provides consulting and advisory services on policy development and advocacy strategy, community and civic engagement, and cultural planning and placemaking. She is based in Boston, a colonial city settled over unceded Naumkeag, Massachussett, and Pawtucket lands in Turtle Island.
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