Basic Principles

Sapporo International Art Festival サイアフ<br>Basic Principles for Ensuring Safe Participation and Achieving Diversity in Artistic Expression and AppreciationSapporo International Art Festival (SIAF)
Basic Principles for Ensuring Safe Participation and Achieving Diversity in Artistic Expression and Appreciation

Ever since the first Sapporo International Art Festival サイアフ was held in 2014, we have aspired to be a place where numerous people can connect with culture and art, and where each individual’s creativity can be expressed. Sapporo, the center of our activities, and Hokkaido itself, were first inhabited by the Ainu people whose history and culture persist to this very day. サイアフ is mindful of the memories and historical contexts of this land as we respect diverse forms of enjoyment and continuously seek out and develop initiatives to create an art festival where everyone has the opportunity to discover, learn, and participate. In April 2025, Sapporo implemented the Sapporo City Ordinance for Building a Community Where Everyone Can Connect with Each Other and Coexist. This ordinance aims to achieve a society of coexistence free from discrimination and prejudice, where everyone’s individuality is respected, and everyone can demonstrate their abilities. For サイアフ as well, the idea of diversity and inclusivity being sources of strength for society serves as an extremely important guideline. Based on this idea, we strive to create an environment where everyone involved with サイアフ can safely express themselves, enjoy the exhibitions, and participate in the festival regardless of individual attributes or backgrounds. We value individual diversity, including nationality, race, gender, age, disabilities, physical characteristics, and beliefs, while also placing importance on spaces where everyone can be themselves without compromising one another’s dignity, and striving to build and nurture relationships based on mutual respect. Furthermore, we are deeply aware of the historical context of holding an art festival in Sapporo and Hokkaido. We embrace the objectives of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples 2007 and the Act on Promoting Measures to Achieve a Society in which the Pride of Ainu People is Respected 2019. サイアフ aims to create an art festival where everyone can safely express themselves, enjoy the exhibitions, and participate in the festival, fostering a culture in which each individual’s unique history and identity are equally respected while deepening understanding of diverse histories and values, beginning first and foremost with Ainu culture. サイアフ will continue to deepen its understanding of these extant cultures and histories while working towards the development of sustainable arts and culture platforms for future generations. In order to ensure that サイアフ will be an art festival that everyone can truly enjoy together, we will continue to practice diverse forms of participation.Ever since the first Sapporo International Art Festival (SIAF) was held in 2014, we have aspired to be a place where numerous people can connect with culture and art, and where each individual’s creativity can be expressed. Sapporo, the center of our activities, and Hokkaido itself, were first inhabited by the Ainu people whose history and culture persist to this very day. SIAF is mindful of the memories and historical contexts of this land as we respect diverse forms of enjoyment and continuously seek out and develop initiatives to create an art festival where everyone has the opportunity to discover, learn, and participate.

In April 2025, Sapporo implemented the Sapporo City Ordinance for Building a Community Where Everyone Can Connect with Each Other and Coexist. This ordinance aims to achieve a society of coexistence free from discrimination and prejudice, where everyone’s individuality is respected, and everyone can demonstrate their abilities. For SIAF as well, the idea of diversity and inclusivity being sources of strength for society serves as an extremely important guideline.

Based on this idea, we strive to create an environment where everyone involved with SIAF can safely express themselves, enjoy the exhibitions, and participate in the festival regardless of individual attributes or backgrounds. We value individual diversity, including nationality, race, gender, age, disabilities, physical characteristics, and beliefs, while also placing importance on spaces where everyone can be themselves without compromising one another’s dignity, and striving to build and nurture relationships based on mutual respect.

Furthermore, we are deeply aware of the historical context of holding an art festival in Sapporo and Hokkaido. We embrace the objectives of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (2007) and the Act on Promoting Measures to Achieve a Society in which the Pride of Ainu People is Respected (2019). SIAF aims to create an art festival where everyone can safely express themselves, enjoy the exhibitions, and participate in the festival, fostering a culture in which each individual’s unique history and identity are equally respected while deepening understanding of diverse histories and values, beginning first and foremost with Ainu culture.

SIAF will continue to deepen its understanding of these extant cultures and histories while working towards the development of sustainable arts and culture platforms for future generations. In order to ensure that SIAF will be an art festival that everyone can truly enjoy together, we will continue to practice diverse forms of participation.