Lin-Manuel Miranda has launched the Representation, Inclusion and Support for Employment Theatre, or RISE Theatre, network, a directory of diverse offstage theater professionals looking for work.

Funded by the Miranda Family Fund, the directory is free for those looking to work and looking to hire, and aims to make it easier for those hiring for offstage jobs to find diverse applicants. The network was launched with nearly 1,000 theater professionals. Miranda told the Associated Press (AP) that he got the idea for RISE from director Ava DuVernay’s ARRAY initiative, which features a database of women and people of color working in the film and television industries in offscreen jobs.

“RISE is really about making sure that the beautiful mosaic of people you see—if you see a production of ‘Hamilton’ or you see a production of ‘MJ (The Musical)’ or ‘Fat Ham’ on Broadway—is also reflected backstage, that it’s not just the folks in front of the footlights,” Miranda told the AP, “because there are incredibly talented practitioners and carpenters and makeup designers and wardrobe folks who also deserve that shot.”

(Photo credit: Getty Images/Edwin Tan)