Kirk Balk is a very lively school with a large number of staff giving up their free time at lunchtime, after school, at weekends and in holidays to provide a wide range of activities. These change from year to year according to interest, but normally your child can choose to take part in a number of activities in the form of societies, groups and clubs. Currently these extra-curricular activities include: several Sport and health clubs such as aerobics, badminton, basketball and other major sports. Leisure and Pleasure Clubs including quiz group, chess club, guitar group, choir and brass group.Many academic extra-curricular activities are also available to students throughout the year. These include intensive language training, revision lessons, library, computer club and technology projects. The school has been successful in a variety of competitions, particularly sport and has twice been awarded, the prestigious ‘sports mark’

Sport

Football

Rugby League

Cricket

Rounders

Cross Country

Angling

Athletics

Our former pupil John Mayock
represented his country as follows:

Drama and Musical Productions

One of the most important aims of the Drama department is to ‘profile the Arts’ in school and perhaps the best way of doing this is through extra-curricular activities.  Kirk Balk Drama department is extremely proud of the quality and variety of opportunities it offers pupils and the reputation it has gained as a result.

The department regularly offers opportunities to participate in Drama clubs after school, pupils develop their skills through Drama games and simple improvisations and are often offered the chance to share their experiences through performance work in school Assemblies, Primary schools, Youth Clubs or even in Public.

Community Links

Drama offers unique methods of building community.  It enables young people to share their experiences and talents with others, it can reach out to any age, ability and can bridge to other cultures and generations.  The Drama department networks with a vast variety of groups and associations, sharing experience as well as expertise.  The department shares resources with Community Education, it actively promotes relationships and communication with feeder schools through a variety of performance based activities.  It has established successful links with Barnsley College Media and Performing Arts departments, it regularly utilises services from the Performing Arts Development Service in Barnsley, and the local community has benefited from Street-theatre, performances in residential homes, toddlers groups and for people with learning difficulties.

Productions and Achievements

Kirk Balk is proud of the quality of its performance work.  It offers pupils rich, rewarding and challenging experiences and provides those with gifts a chance to develop them and excel.  Listed below are some of the contributions Drama has made to the school in terms of performance opportunities:

1987	Production of ‘Oliver’, with the music department
1988	Production of ‘The Wizard of Oz’, with the music department
1988	Dance Competition
1988-2000	Christmas Concerts, with Music department
1989	Dance Competition Individual success achieved in Ecclesfield Public Speaking competition ‘Christmas Past’, performance at Kirk Balk residential home
1990	Inter Arts Competition Street Theatre performance in Hoyland
1991	Three students reach final for BBC Film, ‘Earthfasts’,  Ian Sabin, Y 9 offered a leading role Inter Arts Competition, ‘Arts Alive’ Major dramatic production of Arthur Miller’s, ‘The Crucible’
1992	Inter Arts Competition
1993	Major dramatic production of John Godber’s Up’n Under
1994	Two pupils auditioned for BBC Film ‘King Girl’, Year 11 pupil Louise Atkins offered leading role.  Film broadcast as part of BBC 2, ‘Wicked Women’ season in 1996.  Louise goes on to become an actress appearing in ‘The Bill’, ‘Gold’ and ‘Casualty’.
1995	Major Arts Festival, involving over 200 pupils.
1996	Thee pupils auditioned for Radio 4 play ’Wobbly Eggs’.  Christopher Horner offered leading role, play broadcast in 1997.
1997	Major dramatic production of ‘Romeo and Juliet’. 10 pupils auditioned for major film by award winning writer Tony Harrison, ‘Prometheus’.  Jonathon Waistnidge in Year 8 offered leading role, film distributed to Cinemas in 1998.  Jonathon films other Educational documentaries and is taken to Japan to promote ‘Prometheus’. Six pupils auditioned for Radio 4 play, leading role offered to Sarah Tingle year 8; ‘Roerto Sultana’ broadcast in 1998. Production for Primary schools ‘Melodrama’.
1998	Inter Arts Competition ‘Arts Live and Kicking’. Performance at Birdwell Primary; ‘The Graverobbers’.
2000	Production of 'Kes,' at Elsecar Heritage Centre in November as part of Barnsley Millenium Festival. 'Kes' performed as part of Christmas Concert.
2001	Arts Festival; 'Live and Kicking', held in March. Launch of Drama 'Masterclass', for high ability and gifted performers. Weekly tutorial and lauch of 'Knockout Theatre!'
2002	Major production of William Shakespeare's 'HAMLET', at Wakefield Theatre Royal and Opera House, supported by Lottery Grant.
2003	'Arts Live and Kicking'. Major Arts Festival.
2004	'A Victorian Christmas', a Victorian interpretation of the Christmas Festival.
2005	Arts Festival 2005, February 2005. Music and Drama Showcase, Summer 2005.

The power of performance must not be underestimated. At Kirk Balk it is a vehicle for individual development and expression, a source of inspiration for group interaction and dynamics and a beacon through which the considerable talents of our students shine into the community.