S-AIR was established in 1999 with partial funding by the Agency for Cultural Affairs, to run an artist-in-residence programme in Hokkaido. Since it was approved to be a non-profit organis ation organization in 2004, S-AIR started a 10-year collaborative residency project with ICC, in which we have been building networks with Japanese and international artists as well as art institutions in Japan and overseas. In 2011, S-AIR initiated a new programme, FRONTIER, which is supported by the Agency for Cultural Affairs. S-AIR moved out of ICC into a new premise on the east side of Sapporo station with other creative offices in 2013.

S-AIR offers different types of programs:

Programmes for International Artists [FRONTIER Programme, JENESYS Programme]:

S-AIR -FRONTIER-/JENESYS Programme　
Since the establishment of S-AIR Committee Board, S-AIR has hosted 77 artists in total from 32 countries over the period of 13 years (as of March 2013).

From 2008 for 5 years, S-AIR hosted 10 artists in total from countries in Asia and Oceania for JENESYS (Japan-East Asia Network of Exchange for Students and Youths) Programmeme organizsed by Japan Foundation.

-S-AIR hosts 2 artists/curators each term, 4 artists/curators in total per year are invited to participate in the FRONTIER Pprogrammeme.

Programmes for Local/National Artists [S-AIR AWARD] :

S-AIR AWARD-　

-Alongside of hosting international artists in Sapporo, the S-AIR AWARD was set up in 2006 to offer residency opportunities for local artists to live and produce art work abroad using the network that S-AIR had been building up. In 2011, the award was also open for a non-local artist. Until By the end of March 2013, the award have has been given to 10 artists.

Other Projects:

S-AIR have organizsed different projects such as 'Art Akebono 04-05' and 'Artist-in-School' (now run by AIS Planning) with a new approach, in which the idea of residency has been taken into an educational environment including community centerres and elementary schools.