{"id":42,"date":"2025-10-27T09:30:49","date_gmt":"2025-10-27T09:30:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.kent.ac.uk\/saa-student-news\/?p=42"},"modified":"2025-10-27T09:30:49","modified_gmt":"2025-10-27T09:30:49","slug":"meet-your-saa-head-of-school-chloe-street-tarbatt","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.kent.ac.uk\/saa-student-news\/2025\/10\/27\/meet-your-saa-head-of-school-chloe-street-tarbatt\/","title":{"rendered":"Meet Your SAA Head of School \u2013 Chloe Street Tarbatt"},"content":{"rendered":"

As the new academic year begins, we\u2019re excited to introduce <\/span>Chloe Street-Tarbatt<\/span><\/a>, Head of the School of Arts and Architecture (SAA). With a professional background in architecture and a passion for collaboration, creativity and wellbeing, Chlo\u00e9 shares her journey, her priorities for the year ahead, and what students might not expect about her life outside the office.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Can you tell us a bit about your journey to becoming Head of School?<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n

I\u2019ve always been an ideas person, keen to make things happen \u2013 which is probably why I first pursued a career in architecture. My first \u201cexperiment\u201d was at around 8 years old, when I tried to build a sauna in our house with friends\u2026 and nearly burned it down!<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

After ten exciting years in architectural practice in Dublin during the Celtic Tiger boom, I returned to the UK in 2011 due to the economic downturn. That\u2019s when I began tutoring in architectural design alongside my practice \u2013 and quickly discovered how much I enjoyed the creative possibilities of teaching.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

While I didn\u2019t set out with the goal of becoming Head of School, I\u2019ve always been interested in how organisations work \u2013 in governance, psychology and education. The Head of School role is never dull, and I enjoy the opportunity to work alongside staff and students to help them succeed. I still thrive on making things happen \u2013 we may never get approval for a School sauna, but never say never!<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

What are your top priorities for the School this academic year, and why?<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n
    \n
  1. Bringing our community together<\/span><\/b> \u2013 This year is about building stronger connections across our newly merged School. We have a rich and diverse range of subject areas, and I\u2019m keen to expand opportunities for students and staff to collaborate and share skills across our creative and professional disciplines.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
      \n
    1. Creating better environments<\/span><\/b> \u2013 As an architect, I strongly believe that space affects how we feel and learn. We\u2019re working closely with Estates to improve physical links between Jarman and Marlowe, add new seating and signage, and create more welcoming social and study hubs for everyone.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
        \n
      1. Student involvement in leadership<\/span><\/b> \u2013 We\u2019re expanding opportunities for students to get involved in School governance. It\u2019s so important to build a culture where students and staff work together \u2013 not just academically, but to shape our learning environment and prepare students with professional and life skills.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

        What are you most proud of in the School of Arts and Architecture?<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n

        One of our proudest recent achievements was the refurbishment of our architecture and design studios in the Marlowe Building. In 2022\u201323, we worked with the award-winning <\/span>Sam Jacob Studio<\/span><\/b> in a collaborative process involving staff and student consultation. The result is a colourful, flexible and vibrant studio environment that\u2019s helped to revive our studio culture post-Covid.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

        This sits alongside the architect-designed Jarman building, which houses our top-tier film, media and drama facilities. Together, these spaces reflect the quality and ambition of our School \u2013 and the creativity of our community.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

        What\u2019s something students might be surprised to learn about you?<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n

        I failed my driving test <\/span>four times<\/span><\/b> for being too speedy\u2026 Make of that what you will!<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

        What\u2019s your favourite spot on campus, and why?<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n

        The green path that leads up the hill from the city centre. When I used to commute from London, it was the perfect breath of fresh air after a long journey \u2013 the trees, the birdsong, the views. It\u2019s a little slice of \u2018forest bathing\u2019 that still lifts my mood every time.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

        Is there a student success story that\u2019s inspired you?<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n

        One that stands out is <\/span>Ed Powe<\/span><\/b>, a student I taught in his third year of Architecture. He earned the highest project mark we\u2019ve ever awarded \u2013 95% \u2013 and went on to study at the Royal College of Art. Ed now runs his own award-winning practice, <\/span>Studio Folk<\/span><\/b>, and has returned to Kent as a tutor. Seeing our alumni thrive and give back to the School is incredibly inspiring \u2013 and something we\u2019re really proud of.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

        What one piece of advice would you give students this year?<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n

        I know many students need to work while studying, but I\u2019d encourage you to choose jobs carefully and try to avoid daytime hours where possible. This is a unique opportunity in life to fully focus on your education \u2013 and it\u2019s worth making the most of everything on offer: your scheduled lessons, yes, but also the extra-curricular activities, field trips, lectures, and campus events.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

        University is an investment \u2013 not just financially, but personally \u2013 and how much you get out of it depends on what you put in. Carve out the time, be curious, and engage fully. You\u2019ll thank yourself later.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

        As the new academic year begins, we\u2019re excited to introduce Chloe Street-Tarbatt, Head of the School of Arts and Architecture (SAA). With a professional background … Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":85439,"featured_media":43,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[124,202865],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.kent.ac.uk\/saa-student-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/42"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.kent.ac.uk\/saa-student-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.kent.ac.uk\/saa-student-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.kent.ac.uk\/saa-student-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/85439"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.kent.ac.uk\/saa-student-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=42"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.kent.ac.uk\/saa-student-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/42\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":50,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.kent.ac.uk\/saa-student-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/42\/revisions\/50"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.kent.ac.uk\/saa-student-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/43"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.kent.ac.uk\/saa-student-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=42"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.kent.ac.uk\/saa-student-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=42"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.kent.ac.uk\/saa-student-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=42"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}