Wonderkid Film is a project to highlight and help eradicate homophobia in football by a film about a young player's struggle with his (sexual) identity within the sport. Via a KickStarter campaign they have the funds to now shoot the feature with support from the Kevin Spacey Foundation and Sir Ian McKellen guesting on narration. In the interim the team are expanding the message further by starting an all female team to play tournaments this season. I was brought on board initially to design a logo for the visual identity which we have now turned into a repeat pattern for a football shirt. Its basically my dream kit!!!
i-D have published an article to launch the collaboration for which I answered the following questions and was snapped wearing it by Lydia Garnett.
What made you want to collaborate with WONDERKID?
Football unites so many people from disparate countries, languages, backgrounds & beliefs yet there is one overarching universal acceptance of homophobia which needs to change. From the chants on the terraces to the under-breath snipes on the pitch; its a tolerated tactical issue for abuse. How is it that It's 2015 and theres still only a handful of professional players who have come out?!
The sport is intrinsically linked with machoism which has manifested itself in this bizarre, outdated intolerance. Surely every team wants the best player, so why persecute and torment talent on something so unconnected to the 90 mins of performance in a match.
Attitudes need challenging and educating which will be kick-started by this campaign. The personal story will resonate and hit the message home to every team and supporters to hopefully reverse this irrational and dangerous fear-mongering.
What are your experiences in football?
Personally, I'm a member of a ladies team so I understand the need to promote minorities who play the sport. We need to get more girls taking a kick-about seriously at school and considering it as a legitimate option. I only discovered it later in life. I wish I had started earlier and not lost all those years. We need to apply that mentality to educating our youth so they don't waste any more time picking up negative prejudice. When we are kids playing with our neighbours on the street we don't question each others differences, we just enjoy the game. If only we could grow up carrying the same understanding instead of adopting fear like homophobia.
See the full article here.
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