Chelsea has always been a hub for creativity, with fans and collaborators from the worlds of music, art, photography, fashion and more associated with the Chelsea brand. But the playing field is not level for creatives: in London, the odds of working in the creative industry are halved for those from minority backgrounds.

The lack of diversity in this field is felt behind the scenes in football, where creative positions are often held by advantageous groups. The Blue Creator Fund aims to disrupt that and establish the shared ambition of Chelsea and VERSUS, the media platform and fan community that is a partner in the initiative, to diversify football off the pitch.

Nicholas Daley is an award-winning, London-based menswear designer who explores the interplay of fashion, music and culture. He has long supported programmes designed for young creatives.

• Read: In conversation with Nicholas Daley

Chelsea and VERSUS are again inviting all UK-based creators from underrepresented backgrounds aged 18-30 with a passion for storytelling to apply for the Blue Creator Fund. The five recipients of this year’s Blue Creator Fund will not only have the chance to share their projects across Chelsea’s and VERSUS’ platforms, but also the opportunity to be mentored by a network of 15 London-based creatives fronted by creative director Daley.

Ranging from musicians to gaming consultants to designers, this network of creatives will be vital for the winners in realising their projects and connecting them to those working across the industry. All winners will have face-to-face time with Daley to help refine their creative vision and develop their artistry across their chosen medium.

The winners will also get the unique opportunity to showcase their work at the iconic Saatchi Gallery for a weekend-long exhibition in March 2025. Chelsea and VERSUS want to bring the burgeoning creativity of the Chelsea community beyond football and onto London’s creative scene, demonstrating the convergence of cultures surrounding football and creativity.

Year two of the Blue Creator Fund builds on the success of its first year, which saw two young aspiring creatives - Xaymaca Awoyungbo and Becky Gordon - create two distinct projects centred in the Chelsea community. While Becky created Unsung, a capsule collection of Chelsea signet rings to champion 100 unsung heroes of the Chelsea community, Xaymaca has explored what it means to be Black and a Chelsea fan in his documentary film Blue is the Colour. Both Becky and Xaymaca are creative mentors for this year’s programme, helping the next five recipients make their dreams a reality.

Speaking on partnering with Chelsea and VERSUS, Nicholas said: ‘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.

‘Last season, I collaborated with Chelsea on an amazing project celebrating King Canners [Paul Canoville] and giving back to the local community. It was an amazing moment in my career and it's great that we can continue our collaboration now that we're working together on the Blue Creator Fund.’

Barbara Charone, Chelsea FC director and Chelsea Foundation trustee, said, ‘Chelsea is at the heart of London’s culture. We are excited to continue promoting fan voices and the next generation of creatives through the Blue Creator Fund with the stewardship of Nicholas and our creative mentors, all of whom are testament to the burgeoning creativity of Chelsea and London.

‘The Blue Creator Fund is just one example of synergy between the club and Foundation in engaging with our community to ensure that football is not just diverse on the pitch, but off it, too. We are so honoured to be partnering with the iconic Saatchi Gallery to showcase the projects of our five winners - a west London institution whose values, and support for emerging artists and young talent, align so closely to our own.’

Mayowa Quadri, creative mentor and head of brand at VERSUS, echoed Barbara’s support of the fund: ‘The Blue Creator Fund represents what VERSUS and Chelsea stand for at their cores. Enabling connections and creativity to flourish through the vehicle of football. The industry needs more creatives from diverse backgrounds. Those creatives need an opportunity. This fund will once again provide many individuals and their support networks an amazing chance to showcase to the world their ability. That is truly exciting.’

• Click here to apply now for the Blue Creator Fund

Applications close on Wednesday 26 June 2024 23:59 BST +1.