Chelsea and VERSUS have announced year two of their collaborative 'Blue Creator Fund', with fashion designer Nicholas Daley joining as Creative Director.

Chelsea has always been a hub for creativity, collaborating with fans and creatives from the worlds of music, art, photography and fashion. However, the playing field for people working in creative fields is incredibly uneven and often exclusive: in London, the odds are halved for those from minority backgrounds wanting to work in creative industries. 

The Blue Creator Fund was launched last year to combat the lack of opportunities for people from underrepresented backgrounds, providing two young people a £15,000 grant to complete a creative project that explored the club and its community. For year two, the BCF is going even bigger by awarding five aspiring creatives £20,000 to complete a project of their choice. 

Those who are successful will be supported along the way by designer Daley, as well as 15 creative mentors from Chelsea’s network, who span the worlds of music, fashion, visual art and film. 

Building on the success of last year’s recipients – Xaymaca Awoyungbo and Becky Gordon – the final works will be showcased once again at the Saatchi Gallery for a weekend-long exhibition next April. 

The Blue Creator Fund is open to UK-based creators aged 18-30 from underrepresented backgrounds. 

Applications are now open on the BCF website and close on 26 June.