The Blue Creator Fund has relaunched and is open once again for applications - this time for five winners to receive £20,000 per creative project about Chelsea and its community.

All UK-based creators from underrepresented backgrounds aged 18-30 are invited by Chelsea Football Club and Chelsea Foundation, in collaboration with VERSUS, to apply here

The Blue Creator Fund is being spearheaded by our new creative director, fashion designer Nicholas Daley, as well as being supported by a creative mentor network: 15 London-based creatives leading in their fields, with a passion for nurturing new talent and empowering underrepresented talent.

This creative network will offer winners the chance to learn from their mentors’ insights, experiences and expertise throughout their project lifecycles, through workshops, networking opportunities and regular support.

From selecting winners, to project ideation and delivery, to supporting the winning showcase at the iconic Saatchi Gallery in March 2025, the mentors will be integral to the creative process.

Now meet the creatives helping Chelsea and VERSUS change the culture of the game…

Diogo Lopes - multidisciplinary photographer

Diogo is a self-taught photographer and filmmaker with a rich and diverse background. Born in Porto before moving to Dagenham as a teenager, he has cultivated a unique perspective that shines through in his work. His passion for visual storytelling has led him to create captivating narratives that span music, sports, fashion and global culture, flowing through documentary and commercial styles.

Over the years, he has immersed himself in different cultures, capturing their essence through his lens. His work is distinguished by its ability to tell powerful and authentic stories, resonating with audiences around the world.

He has collaborated and worked with renowned entities such as Chelsea, Channel 4, LEGO, Loyle Carner, Diana Taurasi, Devin Booker, Nike, Virgil Abloh, Benfica, Barcelona, Kevin Durant, BBC, Inter Milan, Thierry Henry, Olivia Dean, Adidas, Kaleidoscope Magazine, Prada, Kanye West, UEFA, Stussy, DHL, Dr. Martens, Nx Worries, Yazmin Lacey, COPA90 and many other artists, brands and organisations.

Luc Hinson - photographer and editor of Between Borders

Luc 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.

He is also the co-founding editor of Between Borders magazine, who collaborated last year with Becky Gordon, one of the Blue Creator Fund’s first-year winners, to produce the Unsung zine documenting the people and processes behind her winning project.

Stephanie Ijoma - games consultant, CEO founder of NNESAGA

Stephanie has created one of the UK’s leading, multi-award winning gaming and entertainment platforms that strives towards championing diversity, inclusion and representation within the space.

NNESAGA has been featured in Forbes, Cosmopolitan, WWD, BBC, Guardian, CNBC and more. Having worked with big hitters, including Sony Playstation, XBOX, EA, Ubisoft, 2K, Warner Bros, Blizzard Activision, NIKE, Nintendo, EE, Alienware, CEEK, Jumpman, Facebook and Twitter, ‘impact over numbers’ is the driving force for NNESAGA’s mission.

Reece Yeboah - artistic chief and owner of YEBOAH

Reece is a self-taught fashion designer and creative director whose goal has always been to use his platform to lift up his community.

West London raised by way of Ghana, Reece’s introduction to design came with a cracked version of Photoshop on his desktop. His debut project, Saint London, was an A-list favourite backed by leaders of the culture including Future, Lewis Hamilton, Young Thug and Ashanti. Fascinated by the endless opportunities to create, he has successfully gone on to build the widely acclaimed brand YEBOAH.

Xaymaca Awoyungbo - former BCF winner and film director

Xaymaca 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, while examining what it means to be Black and a Chelsea fan.

After finishing this film, Xaymaca has gone on to frequently feature in the Guardian’s football columns as a freelance writer, while producing his new video series Lonely in London for his production company CTRL THE ALT.

Anita Abayomi - presenter and content creator

Anita is a presenter, writer and content creator on a mission to create more diverse spaces within sports.

Alongside starring in Chelsea’s campaigns, Anita has previously collaborated with brands like Nike, Sports Direct, COPA90 and New Balance. She also co-founded Goal Diggers UK, England's first Black female-led football podcast, and has featured on Sky Sports, BT Sports, ESPN, Premier League, ITV, BBC and more.

Zaineb Abelque - photographer and founder of Athene Club

Zaineb is a photographer whose work intertwines faith with art, fashion and the diaspora. Her work for brands like Adidas, publications like Dazed, and artists like Louis Culture have cemented her at the apex of London’s culture, but her lens also remains rooted in her community. She runs Athene Club, a creative sisterhood empowering women through nature.

Zaineb’s work as an ambassador to the first iteration of the Blue Creator Fund combined her passion for building communities, telling people’s stories through art, and championing accessibility for all.

Zem Clarke - illustrator and graphic designer

Zem 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.

Her passion for the arts also led her to join the Blue Creator Fund in its first year as an ambassador, alongside designing a mural celebrating its launch adorning the walls of Stamford Bridge.

Becky Gordon - former BCF winner and jewellery designer

Becky hails from Birmingham and as 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.

Since winning, Becky worked closely with Emma Hayes and Chelsea FC to design personalised championship-style rings, summing up the manager’s 12 years in charge, They were gifted by Emma to the women's team as a parting gift.

Kelvyn Quagraine - head of brand at Art of Football

Kelvyn is a multifaceted creator and a true leader in space. As host of COPA90’s Game of Fives show, he has interviewed some of the biggest names in football and beyond, from Harry Kane and Leah Williamson, to Prince William and Ian Wright.

Beyond COPA90, Kelvyn is currently head of brand at Art of Football, following three years working for the leading education charity Football Beyond Borders, supporting participation and equality at a grassroots level.

An avid Chelsea fan, Kelvyn has had the honour of being involved in the club’s last two kit releases, in addition to presenting for brands including FIFA, Browns Fashion and Adidas.

His work often centres around storytelling within football and equality.

Mayowa Quadri - head of brand at VERSUS

Mayowa 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. His love of sports is matched only by his passion for community, leading him to shine in his dual role of ambassador and partner for the first Blue Creator Fund.

A man of many hats, Mayowa has collaborated with a wide range of brands including Chelsea FC, Beats by Dre, Nike, Spotify, BBC, size?, NSPCC and more. He is also a regular contributor to Wrighty's House podcast and a board member of the Sports Journalism Association.

Ellis Gilbert - founder of Talk Nice Studios

Ellis is a community curator invested in London’s streetwear scene, whose own brand Soho Yacht Club and work with other high-profile brands have solidified him as a creative all-rounder. His belief in the power of community has led him to use his creative journey, connections and brand as a springboard to shape a better world.

Ellis has collaborated with Chelsea FC on numerous campaigns, including as an ambassador to last year’s Blue Creator Fund, offering creative capital alongside community spirit and artistic insight.

Capo Lee - rapper and youth manager

Originating from north London, Capo is a boundary breaking MC leading the UK grime scene globally. As well as collaborating with other pioneers in the game, including D Double E, P Money, PK, Sir Spyro and Faze Miyake, Capo has graced the stages of Glastonbury, Parklife, LoveBox, All Points East and Outlook Festival.

Capo is also a committed youth worker who cares about elevating young potential in the community, leading him to collaborate with Chelsea once again last year to become one of the first Blue Creator Fund ambassadors.

Felicia Pennant - editor-in-chief at Soccer Bible and SEASON ZINE founder

Felicia is an award-winning fashion and football storyteller from London. She founded the trailblazing football and fashion platform SEASON zine in 2016 to counter the male, pale, and sometimes stale state of modern football culture. Named one of the UK’s Best Independent Football Magazines by Hypebeast in 2019, it is dedicated to empowering women and marginalised communities creatively and spans print issues with original football stickers, events, a podcast and more. SEASON zine has partnered with adidas, Nike, Puma and BBC Sport, and counts Eni Aluko, Leah Willamson, Lauren James and Hector Bellerín among its cover stars.

The Central Saint Martins graduate is also editor-in-chief at SoccerBible, a Dazed Digital ‘Good Sports’ columnist, and has written for Vogue.co.uk, ELLE UK, i-D, The Face, Highsnobiety and other titles. The NCTJ-qualified journalist won the PPA New Talent 30 under 30 Award 2019 and was named on The Football Black List 2019.

Raphaelle Moore - head of projects at Fashion East

Raphaelle is renowned for her work nurturing emerging designers. As head of projects at Fashion East: the non-profit talent incubator discovering, developing and showcasing emerging fashion designers, Raphaelle has worked across every facet of the incubator’s vital output - from scouting and mentoring designer talent, securing funding and sponsorship, to brand partnerships and managing all special projects.

True to the multidisciplinary spirit of Fashion East, Raphaelle is a consummate polymath, revelling at the intersection of football and fashion, consulting year-round on projects. Her desire to help others continues to shape her career and she was recently announced as a member of the FLANNELS Creative Council, a next-generation advisory board filled with six inspiring voices in the fashion and arts industry.

• Click to apply for the Blue Creator Fund