Blue Creator Fund

THE COLLABORATION

Founded in 1905, Chelsea Football Club is London’s most central football club, based at the iconic Stamford Bridge stadium. Nicknamed ‘The Blues’, Chelsea has seen huge success across our Men’s, Women’s and Academy teams.

Our dedicated and committed community work happens through the Chelsea Foundation – the biggest charitable foundation in the Premier League – and the club-wide No To Hate campaign.

The Blue Creator Fund is the latest example of synergy between the Club and Foundation to engage with our community and ensure the football industry is reflective of the communities it serves.

Chelsea FC Foundation is the world’s leading football social responsibility programme, using the power of football to motivate, educate and inspire.

We believe the power of football is unique in its ability to positively affect society and break down barriers. We support communities and individuals at home and abroad, with over 300 staff, developing programmes for more than 800,000 participants, across 125 towns and cities around the world.

Through a holistic offering of football activities and sports-related programmes across our key strategic pillars of: football development, education & innovation, health & wellbeing, social inclusion, and equality, Chelsea FC Foundation is creating a tangible and long-lasting legacy by fostering stronger, more inclusive communities.

VERSUS is a media platform and fan community championing the future of football and its impact on culture and society.

A new generation of players and fans have changed the rules and the beautiful game is now more important than ever. Contemporary football is hyper connected and culturally fluid – interacting with fashion, gaming, music and activism.

VERSUS is proud to have the most diverse and engaged community of young fans online, and uses its storytelling and partnerships to champion the people and the ideas making the game a more equal place for everyone.

Since 1985, Saatchi Gallery has provided an innovative platform for contemporary art. Exhibitions have presented works by largely unseen young artists, or by international artists whose work has been rarely or never exhibited in the UK.

This approach has made the Gallery one of the most recognised names in contemporary art. Since moving to its current 70,000 square feet space in the Duke of York’s Headquarters in Chelsea, London, the Gallery has welcomed over 10 million visitors. The Gallery hosts thousands of school visits annually and has over 6 million followers on social media.

In 2019 Saatchi Gallery became a registered charity, beginning a new chapter in its history.

Nicholas Daley is a London based menswear designer who explores the interplay of fashion, music and culture. Community, craftsmanship and culture lie at the heart of Nicholas Daley’s work.

Having graduated from Central Saint Martins in 2013, the London-based designer launched his eponymous brand in 2015, a practice intertwining personal narrative with wider Black British and diasporic themes. Nicholas was a recipient of the LVMH Prize finalist winner in 2020, The British Fashion Council x GQ Menswear Fund Winner in 2022 and most recently the Saks Fifth Avenue New Era fashion award in 2024.

Nicholas has long supported programmes designed for young creatives, including: The Fredy Perry x Nicholas Daley Music Grant; MR PORTER Futures; Graduate Fashion Week; British Fashion Council x GQ Menswear Fund. Nicholas also regularly guest lectures and leads course projects with the University of Arts London; Glasgow School Of Art; Parsons Fashion School NYC and Leeds University.

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“I’m so excited to be partnering with Chelsea and VERSUS on the Blue Creator Fund. It's vital that institutions like football clubs support the next generation of creatives, especially in a time where funding within the arts has been cut. I'm a big advocate for any opportunity where industry professionals can lend learnings and experience to the next generation of creatives.”

– Nicholas Daley

MEET THE MENTORS

LUC HINSON

Photographer and Editor of Between Borders

Luc Hinson is a photographer, ethnographic researcher and brand strategist who has worked with household names including Nike, Spotify, LVMH, Warner Music and Jordan, as well as Chelsea FC, including on last year’s Blue Creator Fund.

Diogo Lopes

Multidisciplinary Photographer

Diogo Lopes is a multidisciplinary photographer and art director whose work has seen him craft captivating visual narratives across music, football and fashion, including in motion as an editor and director.

Stephanie Ijoma

Games Consultant and Founder of NNESAGA

Stephanie Ijoma is a games consultant & Founder at NNESAGA. She has created one of the UK's leading gaming and entertainment platforms that strives towards championing diversity, inclusion and representation within the space.

Reece Yeboah

Artistic Chief and Owner of YEBOAH

Reece Yeboah is a self taught fashion designer and creative director from West London whose goal has always been to use his platform to lift up his community. His projects have been backed by leaders of the culture including Future, Young Thug, Ashanti and Lewis Hamilton.

Xaymaca Awoyungbo

Former BCF Winner & Film Director

Xaymaca Awoyungbo is an emerging film director and one of two winners of the inaugural Blue Creator Fund. His winning film, entitled ‘Blue is the Colour’, explored Chelsea’s relationship with race and its connections to Britain’s cultural history, whilst examining what it means to be Black and Chelsea.

Becky Gordon

Former BCF Winner & Jewellery Designer

Becky Gordon is a jewellery designer hailing from Birmingham. One of two winners from the first Blue Creator Fund, her winning project ‘Unsung’, a capsule collection of Chelsea signet rings, championed 100 unsung heroes from the Chelsea community.

Anita Abayomi

Presenter & Content Creator

Anita Abayomi is a presenter, writer, content creator and the co-founder of Goal Diggers UK, England’s first Black female-led football podcast, on a mission to create more diverse spaces within sports.

Aarti Popat

Founder & CEO, Always Protected Publicity

Aarti Popat is a pioneering entrepreneur and driving force behind agency Always Protected Publicity, where she serves as founder and CEO. Her forward-thinking approach has positioned her as a leader in the music industry for the past 10 years – using her expertise, Aarti has guided many artists in ways to tell their stories authentically and tastefully.

Zem Clarke

Illustrator and Graphic Designer

Zem Clarke is a globally recognised graphic designer and illustrator whose work has seen her collaborate with brands across the football industry, including Chelsea, Nike, the Premier League, the FA, Sky Sports and COPA90.

Kelvyn Quagraine

Head of Brand at Art of Football

Kelvyn Quagraine is a multifaceted creator and presenter who is Head of Brand at Art of Football, collaborating with the likes of COPA90, Gaffer Magazine, FIFATV and Nike, as well as director of the youth creative agency Youth Beyond Borders.

Ellis Gilbert

Founder of Talk Nice Studios

Ellis Gilbert is a community curator invested in London’s streetwear scene, whose belief in the power of community has led him to use his creative journey, connections and brand Soho Yacht Club as a springboard to shape a better world.

Mayowa Quadri

Head of Brand at VERSUS

Mayowa Quadri is a conversationalist and storyteller, who works as Head of Brand at VERSUS to bring their energy to the forefront and ensure their finger remains on the pulse of culture.

Capo Lee

Rapper and Youth Manager

Capo Lee is a boundary breaking MC leading the UK grime scene globally, as well as a committed youth worker who cares about elevating young potential in the community.

Felicia Pennant

Editor-in-Chief at Soccer Bible & SEASON zine

Felicia Pennant, Editor-in-Chief at SoccerBible and founding Editor-in-Chief of SEASON zine, is an award-winning journalist, editor, and creative storyteller whose work focuses on the convergence of fashion, football, lifestyle, and cultural commentary.

Raphaelle Moore

Head of Projects at Fashion East

Raphaelle Moore, Head of Projects at Fashion East and member of the FLANNELS Creative Council, is renowned for her work at the intersection of fashion and football, nurturing emerging designers and discovering the next generation of talent.