The cuttings on the walls of the Manchester International Festival’s Pavilion Theatre said it all – the third biennial event captivated the culture columns of the nation and attracted glowing reviews across the world.

It was a proud moment for all involved, but conceit isn’t in the nature of festival director Alex Poots. And it’s a good job, because when you’re heading up an increasingly successful event like MIF, it would be easy to sit back and give yourself a pat on the back.

In 2011, MIF staged 27 unique projects, every one a world premiere in the fields of music, theatre and visual arts. Several of them were sold out; a number resulted in queues around the block to get in.

For Alex, the real proof of MIF’s success in 2011 won’t be evident until the festival completes its statistical review in October. And while, anecdotally, he’s been delighted by the way the shows went and the numbers that attended, he’s still not prepared to talk shop about ticket sales until he knows the final figures.

“I think the third festival was always going to be hardest of the three,” says Alex. “We entered a recession at the beginning of the last festival that really wasn’t taking root until after the we closed the 2009 event.

“The third one is the one you’re often judged by because those people who haven’t been totally attentive during the first two have noticed by the third time that there is an international festival happening in Manchester.

“For me, the realisation that the third one might not happen because the recession was biting was the biggest challenge. But 2011 has felt like a tipping point, a lot of people this time round really embraced the festival. And as ever there was this really warm Manchester welcome. My mum came down on the train from Edinburgh and was very impressed to be met by volunteers at the station.”

Anyone who spent time in Albert Square, home of the festival from June 30 to July 17, will know that Alex’s fears not only didn’t come true but didn’t even appear to affect the sheer ambition of the final programme.

Certain shows brought the festival to the attention of groups it has previously struggled to meet: Bjork at Campfield Market, Snoop Dogg at the Apollo, Victoria Wood’s That Day We Sang at the Opera House. Sit for an hour in the ever-busy city centre hub and you found yourself surrounded by many different languages and cultures; the international A-list cast in The Life And Death Of Marina Abramovic can certainly claim some credit for that.

And it wasn’t just the punters that were impressed by these stand-out shows, either; several of Alex’s favourite pieces are now the subject of bidding wars.

The co-commission with Chetham’s School of Music featuring Alina Ibragimova and The Quay Brothers is going to London’s Barbican Theatre; Bjork has been offered residencies for Biophilia by 15 other festivals (Alex says it will probably go to eight or nine); Punchdrunk’s Crash Of The Elysium will now join Dr Dee at the 2012 Olympics, while Dr Dee itself is also likely to go to Sydney; and major broadcasters have expressed interest in creating radio and TV adaptations of That Day We Sang. MIF’s most ambitious production, The Life And Death Of Marina Abramovic, has been eagerly bid for by festivals in Rio, New York, Rome and Paris.

The offers will have massive financial benefits for the festival, but it also shows the world is taking notice.

In these cash-strapped times, co-commissioning is the way forward (commissoner investment grew from £700,000 in 2009 to over £2.5m in 2011), says Alex. Potentially, MIF may also become a consultant for newcomers.

Both Manchester and Salford city councils are making positive noises about continuing their support in 2013, and growing international interest means the going looks good – even though it will be another festival planned under the cloud of poor economic conditions.

Alex is already deep into planning stages and in talks with nine new artists about shows; experience tells him about four or five of these will make it into the programme.

“Two years ago, if you’d have asked me what was going to open the 2011 festival, I’d have said a ballet – and you’ll notice it didn’t,” he laughs.

“I have many more irons in the fire than I need and I don’t tend to be very candid at this point about what’s ahead because it’s almost like I’ll jinx it if I give away too much.

“But it’s also about thinking what would take us forward. There are little shoots of growth all over the place in MIF; the whole area of co-commissioning and touring work, and providing help to other festivals, there might be relationships forged through that even.”

Apart from Vertical Farm – a working urban farm in a tower block in Wythenshawe – which was discussed on the closing day of the 2011 festival, no events have been revealed.

Alex says he’s not currently taking to any former MIF contributors, such as Damon Albarn or Marina Abramovic, and on his wish list are PJ Harvey and Welsh actor David Barry.

“About 70 per cent of our artists this year were new artists to the festival, and I want to keep the balance at least that,” Alex says.

“We know you need to keep that pool wide to maintain interest, and of course it’s my dream that the festival becomes loved and cared for.

“In terms of finance, I feel we reached a scale I’m happy with. Philosophically for 2013, I’m trying to think, ‘Don’t think bigger is better, just do it better’.”

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